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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nYou may think you\u2019re showing love to your pup when sneaking them a taste of Thanksgiving feast – but veterinarians warn that feeding your dog or cat could come with dangerous consequences. <\/p>\n
Many foods that humans enjoy are either toxic to pets or can cause gastrointestinal distress. Not knowing what\u2019s OK to feed animals, and what\u2019s a risk, can send your \u201cfur child\u201d to the animal hospital this holiday season.<\/p>\n
Vets report seeing a surge in emergency visits on Thanksgiving, and a 2023 survey found more than half of dog owners said their pet had eaten something they shouldn\u2019t have over the holiday. <\/p>\n
“The biggest dangers are foods that are either toxic to pets, such as onions and garlic, foods that can cause gastrointestinal upset because they are too rich, or foods that are very different from the pet’s usual diet,\u201d Dr. Aya Alt, the medical director of VCA Broadway Animal Hospital and Pet Center in Boulder, Colorado, told People<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cIf you’re having a potluck-style Thanksgiving dinner, make sure your guests know which ingredients may be toxic to pets,” she added.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Dogs may beg for scraps of Thanksgiving or dessert – even a turkey bone. But veterinarians warn that giving into those puppy dog eyes may come with major consequences (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSome major \u201cno-nos\u201d include alcohol, milk, dairy products, onions, garlic, cooked bones, grapes, raisins, raw meat, and fish. <\/p>\n
Even small amounts of alcohol can result in toxicity for cats, according to the Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/em>. <\/p>\nAnd while chocolate is a delicious after-dinner treat for humans, it can lead to tremors, seizures, fever and even a coma between two to 12 hours after ingesting the product in dogs. This is because chocolate has caffeine and the stimulant theobromine, both of which are toxic to canines. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of theobromine and caffeine in a chocolate product varies, but generally, the darker the chocolate, the higher the risk to dogs,\u201d according to the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center.<\/p>\n
Alas, pumpkin pie is a no-go, too, according to the American Kennel Club. The festive dessert has condensed milk, spices and sweetening that can be unsafe for dogs. <\/p>\n
Pumpkin pie spice contains nutmeg, a spice that can lead to seizures and be fatal for dogs in high doses. It\u2019s sometimes made with allspice, which has the compound eugenol – a compound that can poison dogs.<\/p>\n
However, they can eat regular, pure pumpkin. \u201cIt\u2019s low in fat, contains vitamins, and is high in fiber. Pumpkin is often recommended for digestive upsets like doggie diarrhea,\u201d the Kennel Club said.<\/p>\n
Grapes and raisins can cause gastrointestinal distress and even kidney failure. It\u2019s not yet known why this is the case, but a form of acid in the fruit known as tartaric acid has recently been identified as a possible culprit. <\/p>\n
Onions and garlic also contain a compound that can be toxic called \u201cN-propyl disulfide.\u201d The compound damages red blood cells and can lead to not enough healthy red blood cells, severe organ failure and death.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn most cases, consumption causes gastroenteritis or inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Irritation of the mouth, drooling, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur,\u201d VCA Animals Hospitals warned. <\/p>\n
Milk, meat, fish and cooked bones are also off the menu for cats and dogs. But pets can choke on bones, and cooked bones can splinter when swallowed and even tear the esophagus. That may lead food and other bacteria to leak into the chest, causing infection and severe pain. <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Cats can easily choke on cooked bones, which can also break up and become lodged or tear their esophagus (Getty Images\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cRaw and cooked bones can both cause splinters in your dog’s mouth and digestive tract, causing injury and potentially even death (although this is more common with cooked bones),\u201d Georgia\u2019s Chestview Animals Hospital & Emergency said.<\/p>\n
Like millions of American people, many dogs and cats are also intolerant to milk\u2019s sugar lactose, as well. This can result in similar problems with digestion.<\/p>\n
Raw meat and fish carry the risk of foodborne illness, much like the proteins can for humans.<\/p>\n
\u201cRaw meat and fish contain germs that can cause serious illness to both pets and humans, so it needs to be handled safely,\u201d Cardiff Metropolitan University researchers wrote in The Conversation<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more You may think you\u2019re showing love to your pup when sneaking them a taste of Thanksgiving feast – but veterinarians warn that feeding your dog or cat could come with dangerous consequences. Many foods that humans enjoy are either toxic to pets or can cause gastrointestinal distress. Not knowing what\u2019s OK to feed animals, and what\u2019s a risk, can send your \u201cfur child\u201d to the animal hospital this holiday season. Vets report seeing a surge in emergency visits on Thanksgiving, and a 2023 survey found more than half of dog owners said their pet had eaten something they shouldn\u2019t have over the holiday. “The biggest dangers are foods that are either toxic to pets, such as onions and garlic, foods that can cause gastrointestinal upset because they are too rich, or foods that are very different from the pet’s usual diet,\u201d Dr. Aya Alt, the medical director of VCA Broadway Animal Hospital and Pet Center in Boulder, Colorado, told People. \u201cIf you’re having a potluck-style Thanksgiving dinner, make sure your …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8946"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}