Tips to help ensure pets have a safe and happy Thanksgiving

PHOENIX — The holiday season is here and keeping your pets safe and happy this Thanksgiving will be a top priority.

Best Friends Animal Society has compiled a list of safety precautions to help ensure a good holiday.

Here are the tips:

• Scrap Giving Scraps: Too much rich, fatty or simply new foods can upset a pet’s stomach — and even cause pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening. Encourage guests to hand out tasty pet treats or a fun toy instead.
• Bad to the Bone: Poultry bones can break up or splinter in a pet’s stomach and be deadly, so dogs and cats should never be allowed to gnaw on them. Instead, bones should be discarded in a closed trash can immediately.
• Avoid a Dessert Disaster: Pet parents should remember chocolate is toxic for dogs and should be kept out of reach. Other common food items that can be poisonous to dogs include onions, raisins, and grapes, which may be included in Thanksgiving staples such as stuffing, green bean casserole and more holiday favorites.
• Keep it Clean: After a day, or days, of cooking, food-flavored items may be too tempting to curious pets. If ingested, these can cause injury to their stomachs. Make sure prep items are properly discarded as soon as they are no longer needed and keep other potentially harmful items on high surfaces and out of reach.

Founded in 1984, Best Friends Animal Society has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to approximately 378,000, according to a press release.

More information about Best Friends Animal Society is online.

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