Thanksgiving Day is a day to gather with friends and family and enjoy a meal of wonderful flavors and heart-filled recipes. On Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays, those of us with pets might be tempted to let them in on the celebrations by sharing table scraps – especially, when they look at us with those irresistible puppy-dog eyes.

Many human foods, however, are not only difficult for our pets to digest, some are toxic and dangerous. Your pets will be healthiest if kept on their normal diets. But be sure to keep the following well out of their reach.

• Raw Dough – Live yeast produces alcohol and carbon monoxide, which are both dangerous for pets.
• Turkey – Raw meat can give dogs and cats food poisoning just like humans. Digesting fat or rich foods can also make them sick with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and pancreatitis. Turkey bones can easily become lodged in their esophagus or stomach and can also puncture an intestinal wall. Be sure to keep your pets away from the turkey bones in the trash.
• Onions – Onions, garlic, shallots and leeks are all highly toxic for your pets.
• Grapes and Raisins – These foods are poisonous for dogs.
• Desserts – Chocolate and the sweetener, xylitol, are both extremely toxic for dogs and cats.
• Alcohol – You probably do not plan to spike your pet’s water bowl over the holidays, but you should also be sure to keep close tabs on any unattended libations.
• Floral Centerpieces – Humans don’t plan on eating decorative centerpieces. Cats and dogs, however, are often tempted to chew on floral arrangements. A long list of plants and flowers are quite toxic to both cats and dogs. Lilies are especially poisonous for cats, as even exposure to the pollen can be fatal. Be sure to keep floral arrangements well out of your pets’ reach.

What Can Your Pet Enjoy on Thanksgiving?

It’s only natural to want your pets to take part in your Thanksgiving feast. A small amount of well cooked, boneless turkey is okay for pets, in addition to green beans, carrots and a few licks of mashed potato – as long as these are prepared specially for your pet and do not contain any harmful ingredients, like garlic and onions or lots of butter and oil. If you really want to serve your pet a feast of his or her own on Thanksgiving Day, pick up a special treat from the pet store to add to your pet’s regular meal.