10 Foods Not to Feed Your Dog This Thanksgiving

By Kasandra Brabaw (Patch Staff)

On Thanksgiving Day little hands, and some big hands, tend to slip a nibble under the table to the family pet. Dogs will happily lap up anything you’re willing to send their way, but not everything that makes it under the table is good for your animal.

Check below for a list of foods the Prince William County Animal Shelter says you shouldn’t set aside for the doggy bag.

• Bones — It seems counterintuitive, but bones are bad for dogs. Carmela Stamper, DVM, a veterinarian in the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said, “Bones are unsafe, no matter what their size. Giving your dog a bone may make your pet a candidate for a trip to your veterinarian’s office, possible emergency surgery or even death. Make sure you throw out bones from your own meals in a way that your dog can’t get to them.”

• Raw or undercooked turkey — Turkey is dangerous because of salmonella bacteria. Even though you may believe your dog’s stomach is iron-clad, it’s not.

• Turkey skin — Fatty foods like turkey skin and gravy are difficult for dogs to digest. Your dog’s pancreas can even become inflamed, resulting in pancreatitis, a very serious disease.

• Dough and cake batter — The combination of raw dough and your dog’s body heat can actually cause the dough to rise inside its stomach. This will make your dog vomit while suffering severe abdominal pain and bloating. Not to mention that the batter used in cakes and pies has raw eggs, which could contain salmonella bacteria. If you’re making a cake or pie, make sure your dog is not in the kitchen, and clean up any scraps or droppings that hit the floor right away.

• Beer — Some dogs love beer, but this doesn’t mean you should share a cold one with your dog. It can really do a number on your dog’s stomach. Depending on how much he consumes, the hops can cause your dog to have a fever, rapid heartbeat, seizures and liver damage. It can even be lethal.

• Macadamia nuts—These nuts, in particular, are very bad for your dog. In fact, they could cause a reaction called macadamia nut toxicosis. The symptoms range from lethargy and vomiting to your dog being unable to stand up.

• Mushrooms — Fungi are good for you, but bad for your dog. Should your dog ingest mushrooms, you can expect symptoms that could become quite severe, including vomiting, seizures, coma and possibly death.

• Onions and garlic — These can make your dog very sick. Both onions and garlic contain sulfides, which are toxic to dogs and can cause the destruction of red blood cells, leading to anemia.

• Sage — This multi-purpose herb is used in countless recipes and for cleansing a new home, but for dogs, sage is bad. It contains oils and resins that can upset a dog’s stomach and do a number on its central nervous system.

• Nutmeg — This spice has mild hallucinogenic properties that, when ingested by your dog, can cause seizures, tremors and central nervous system problems. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are good for your dog; just make sure no nutmeg is on them before you share them.

The Animal Shelter also warns against chocolate, but didn’t put it on the list because they say it “should be a given for every pet parent.”

image via freepix.eu