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Keep your pets safe on Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is almost here, which means good food, time spent with family members, and lots of opportunities for our pets to get into mischief. Keep your pets safe this Thanksgiving with these helpful tips!

Watch the Door

With any holiday that involves a lot of coming and going, one of the biggest hazards is the opening and closing of the front door. If you've got guests coming to your house, make sure to keep a close eye on your dog or cat whenever the door is open. In all the chaos of people arriving for a holiday meal, it's easy for a pet to slip out unnoticed. For peace of mind, keep your pet in a separate room until all your guests have arrived. It's also important to make sure your pets are wearing up-to-date ID tags in case they do go missing. Many pets are not reunited with their owners because they are not wearing identification.

Find a Happy Place

For some animals, the holidays are just too stressful. If your pet is overwhelmed by all the noise and chaos, find them a quiet place to spend the day away from all the action. An extremely nervous pet may be happiest in a crate where they feel safe, while other pets may be happy just to be in a room by themselves. For added comfort, I like to leave the TV running for my pets to help drown out the noise of our guests.

Dinner Time

If you're going to give your pet a special treat from the dinner table, stick to pieces of boneless meat and avoid giving them more than a nibble or two. As most pet parents already know, strange foods can easily upset a dog or cat's stomach. Unlike with people, it only takes a few bites of something new for your pet to have "overindulged". Some foods, like onions, mushrooms, and even turkey skin can lead to a lot of digestion problems for your pet. If you want to give your pet a special holiday treat, try filling a Kong toy with peanut butter or making your own homemade pet treats.

Keep an Eye on Guests

It's great to have a plan for your pet for the holidays, but it's important you share that plan with your guests, as well. Do you have indoor-only cats? Make sure your guests are aware that your pets should not be let outdoors. Are you keeping your pets in a separate part of the house? In addition to letting your guests know that your pets need to stay separated, it's a good idea to put a sign on the door to alert guests that they should not be going in that particular room. If your pets are around when food is served, remind your guests not to offer them any bites as there are many human foods that can make your pet seriously ill, or may even be fatal. Alcohol is also very dangerous for pets, so remind guests to keep their glasses somewhere your pets cannot reach.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Hopefully, your holiday will not have to include a trip to the emergency vet, but it's still best to be prepared. Without fail, one of one my animals will always get sick on a holiday when the vet office is closed. Fortunately, my vet offers a special number to call outside of business hours to discuss a pet's symptoms and learn if they can be treated at home, are able to wait for the vet office to open the next day, or should see an emergency vet right away. Talk to your vet to see if they offer the same service for their clients and make sure you have this number readily available. It's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the location and phone number of the nearest emergency vet.

Have a safe a happy Thanksgiving!

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, two cats, a bearded dragon, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322

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