Thanksgiving is almost here! That means a house full of loved ones and friends, a busy time preparing and a table full of wonderful food. For many of us, including your Mesa pet sitters, our pets are included in that list of loved ones. So the question is, should you let your furry family members partake in the yummy food celebration?

The answer is yes and no. Many of the foods we eat are not the best to offer your pets. Let’s take a look at a few traditional Thanksgiving foods to find out which ones are safe.

First, there are whipped potatoes.  While the potatoes are ok, many of us add in additional ingredients such as milk, butter, sour cream and cheese that are a no-no for your pets. Some dogs can tolerate dairy and others can not. And if you cover your potatoes in gravy, they are a definite no-much too rich for pet stomachs.  So plain potatoes, yes, spiffed up potatoes, no.

Many families eat cranberry sauce when celebrating this holiday, and this is a perfectly delicious treat to feed your canine companions!

How about green bean casserole? Well if it’s a casserole, it’s not recommended – due to the milk, potential garlic and onion topping, this makes it a no. However, plain green beans are completely acceptable. In fact, adding plain canned green beans to your dog’s kibble is a great way to stretch your budget and give them something interesting and different to eat.

What about pumpkin pie? Pumpkin is good for pets, right? Plain pumpkin in a paste, not pumpkin pie filling, is what is safe for pets, so the pumpkin pie is out no matter how cute your dog looks begging.

And of course, the piece de resistance…the turkey. Yes, absolutely, you can feed your dog some of your delicious turkey; just be sure that any fat or skin is removed, as well as gravy. And of course be certain it contains no bone pieces.

Your dog’s Thanksgiving plate can look like this: plain, skinless turkey, plain potatoes, cranberry sauce, plain green beans and some pumpkin without sugar.

Much of this same information applies to cats as well, with an extra caution against anything dairy as cats have a difficult time digesting the lactose.

However you and you loved ones celebrate, Critter Caretakers wishes you and your family a wonderful Turkey Day. We’re grateful to our community members who put their faith and trust in us to provide exceptional pet sitting services in Gilbert and Mesa to you and your furry family members.