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Jun 05, 2025

How to protect dogs and cats from toxic foods on Thanksgiving Day

As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, there are dangers lurking for pets. Here are some tips for keeping our furballs healthy and safe as family and food runneth over. According to the St.

As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, there are dangers lurking for pets. Here are some tips for keeping our furballs healthy and safe as family and food runneth over.

According to the St. Johns County Pet Center and the American Animal Hospital Association, sharing people food and boisterous families with our pets on Turkey Day, as tempting and adorable as you think it may be, can create stress and serve as a health risk to dogs and cats.

Decadent and tasty human food can cause digestive issues. We’ve gathered tips from the AAHA and the St. Johns County Pet Center to keep pets and humans safe on Thanksgiving Day:

Dangerous foods should be kept out of reach, starting with turkey bones, which splinter easily after cooking. If swallowed, splintered bones can cause animals to choke or suffer internal injuries including punctured intestines.

Fatty foods including sauces, turkey skin and a menu of buttered everything, can cause gastrointestinal issues or pancreatitis. Table scraps from a Thanksgiving Day meal should not be shared with cats or dogs.

Onions and garlic can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. According to the AAHA, bread and yeast dough can expand in a pet’s stomach, causing bloating and discomfort. In addition, rising dough produces alcohol, which can result in alcohol poisoning in pets. Signs include vomiting, disorientation and, potentially, respiratory failure.

Nothing is cute about giving a pet alcohol. Even a small amount of alcohol can cause vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors and seizures in pets.

No chocolate — ever. Chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs and cats. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous.

Read labels for Xylitol, an artificial sweetener listed as birch sugar in sugar-free desserts, gum and non-organic peanut butter. Xylitol can instigate a drop in blood sugar, causing seizures, liver failure and even death. Macadamia nuts are also highly toxic to dogs and can lead to weakness, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia.

Secure all trash bins and make sure that all table and counter food remains out of the reach of a four-legged furball. Keep trash bins away from nosy noses.

Educate your guests on Thanksgiving Day’s proper pet safety etiquette. Remain mindful and vigilant of open doors. Felines are wonderful escape artists, and truth be told, chasing a cat is like chasing your tail. If necessary, create a safe space for your pets away from the family during loud gatherings. Keep decorations — especially small swallowable items, flowers and candles — away from your pets. Pets should be microchipped. Dogs should wear an ID collar.