National Day of Canine Gastrointestinal Upset and Pancreatitis is Nearly Upon us!
The end of human dinner time tomorrow marks the start of a very dangerous period for the dogs of America.
People, exhausted and bloated, will retire to sofas and armchairs across the country. Dogs will devour unattended turkey carcasses, ransack garbage cans (compost bins in northern California), gobble up giblets, stuff themselves with stuffing, lap up gravy, pilfer pumpkin pie and help themselves to whatever leftovers they can get their paws on.
Dogs that engage in these sorts of activities aren’t bad dogs. They are simply doing what dogs do.
However, many dogs will pay a price for their dietary indiscretion. Some will suffer from transient diarrhea or vomiting as their systems react to rich Thanksgiving food. Others may suffer more serious consequences. Some dogs will develop pancreatitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Others may consume turkey bones and develop intestinal obstructions–these dogs will require major abdominal surgery to survive.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Enjoy your day. But don’t leave your leftovers unattended, and don’t let your dog have access to the garbage. This will help to ensure a happy and safe turkey day for all members of the family!
Photo credit: Stu Spivak. Photo license: CC.
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Teddy heartily enjoyed the discarded ends of veggies that resulted from cooking the big meal. She was sadly (in her view) deprived of the turkey, gravy and other fixins.
We scored big time and were able to take home a good amount of veggie odds and ends (celery, carrots, brocoli, apples, etc.) — enough to provide ample healthy snack material for a couple of weeks.
Perhaps being a BARF feeder, we look at the holidays differently. But we don’t see the “people food” as a treat or even something to consider serving a dog. But we sure do like to take the veggie scraps that don’t make it into the meal!