Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where everyone is looking forward to the food, and that includes your dog! We have come up with a few safety tips, and helpful hints for what foods your dog can enjoy with you. We want Thanksgiving with your dog to be special for everyone, and safe!

1. Be sure not to give your dog any uncooked dough! Yeast in uncooked bread dough can cause serious harm to your pets. When cats or dogs have yeast, they can become “drunk” from the alcohol released when yeast is consumed. Thanksgiving with your dog shouldn’t include an emergency vet visit.
2. Sweet potatoes are great for dogs! You can share your sweet potato dish with your pets, as long as there aren’t any marshmallows on them. Marshmallows have an ingredient called xylitol which is harmful to dogs (some peanut butters contain this ingredient as well).
3. If you are worried about your dog’s manners when company comes over, consider a basic training course. When the big day comes, you and your pet will feel less anxious, and more laid back with some boundaries set. Click here to check out Shaggy Shack Pet Resort’s dog training courses!
4. Do not feed your dog any turkey bones! Poultry bones are more likely to splinter, especially after being cooked, and can be dangerous for dogs. This does not mean don’t give Spot any turkey however. Just make sure there are no bones in the meat before feeding to your pet.
5. While on the topic of turkey, keep any of the “extras” you find inside your turkey before preparing it to be cooked. There is typically a heart, gizzard, and liver tucked inside of whole birds. For the heart and liver you can chop these up and cook them as a tasty snack for your pet. The gizzard takes a little more work, you need to cut it open and remove all of the pebbles and such before cooking.
6. Pies are always a staple of Thanksgiving, especially apple pie and pumpkin pie. Save some of your fresh pumpkin, or pumpkin puree for your pup! Pumpkin is great for their digestive system, and dogs love it! Also you can save a few apple slices for them! Just make sure there are no seeds.
7. Plan on serving some veggie dishes as well? Pass Fido some carrots and green beans! Carrots have tons of vitamins and fiber, and are actually a good snack for dogs with cancer. Green beans also have loads of fiber and vitamins, but are often cooked with onions. Be sure not to feed any dishes with onions to your pet!
8. While everyone else is enjoying their feast, prep a small dish with all of the tasty dog-friendly dishes you’ve created so you can enjoy Thanksgiving with your dog!
9. If you are planning an out-of-town trip, and your dog is not invited, be sure to look into boarding. Shaggy Shack is open everyday for boarding, and the staff is carefully trained to keep your dog safe, happy, and well taken care of. Click here for more info on boarding with Shaggy Shack.

Here’s a bonus tip: use some of your unwanted leftovers for your dog’s dinner! Pass the turkey, but hold the onions and mushrooms!

Everyone here at Shaggy Shack wishes you all a Pawtastic Thanksgiving with your dog!