Thanksgiving foods you can feed your pet

Turkey is a good food for your dog and cat. Do not give your dog or cat turkey bones, turkey skin, or turkey fat. Turkey contains tryptophan which will make your pet calmer and sleepy, like it does to humans. Turkey is the main ingredient in premium pet foods on the market. Turkey and rice are sometimes fed to an animal who has just had surgery or is recuperating from an illness. Turkey fat is bad for a dog's pancreas and can cause pancreatitis. Choose the white meat of the turkey for your pet because it contains less fat and only give your pet a small amount.

Aluminum foil and plastic wrap can be a hazard to your pet on Thanksgiving. Throw away any used foil or plastic wrap where your pet cannot get to it and digest it. This can cause intestinal obstruction and will guarantee a trip to the emergency veterinarian on a holiday.

If you do need a veterinarian over the holiday, VCA Pet Hospital is located in Pearl City, the phone number is 808-484-9070. They are open 24 hours. Located at 98-1254 Kaahumanu Street in Pearl City. They are right next to Cattleman's Steak restaurant. Hopefully you will not need to visit them anytime soon for emergency.

Sweet potatoes by themselves are okay for dogs and cats. Fresh baked sweet potato chopped up or mashed are healthy for your dog or cat once in a while mixed in with your pet's food. Canned sweet potatoes are not good for pet's because they have sugar and sometimes preservatives that are not good for dogs or cats. I have heard it said that you should not give any of the skin of the sweet potato to your dog, but some people say it is okay. Anything in moderation is okay for your dog or cat's if it is a healthy food to start with. There is a company that sells dried sweet potato treats for dogs online. They are chewy and come in a reusable plastic jar.

Some dog and cat food companies actually have sweet potato as a main ingredient in their pet food. Buddy the Golden Retriever from Honolulu, prefers duck and sweet potato dog food. His dog friends, Kiwi, Maki, and Tootsie dogs in Waianae introduced him to the chewy sweet potato treats.

Turkey dressing up is not the best food for dogs or cats because it contains bread, spicy herbs, and generally is not considered a pet food. If you were to give some to your pets, only give a teaspoon or two to a large dog. The best thing to do is to avoid giving your pet dressing at all.

Turkey gravy is definitely a bad food for dogs and cats as it is filled with salt and fat. No turkey gravy for Fido or Kitty this Thanksgiving please.

Pumpkin pie is not a good food for dogs or cats. Pumpkin by itself has fiber and in small amounts can help your dog it has diarrhea or constipation. Before you give your dog pumpkin contact your veterinarian for advice. Pumpkin pie has sugar, fats and not good for pets.

Dinner rolls and butter are not good for your dog or cat.

Mashed potatoes are okay if they are not too spicy with pepper. If you give your dog or cat spicy food and it is not used to spicy food, you are going to have a pet with stomach problems.

The best thing it can do for your dog or cat on Thanksgiving is to give them the same  food  that you usually feed your pet.. If you introduce a new food to your pet it can cause stomach upset, constipation, or diarrhea or worse.

We love our pets and want them to share in our delight of good foods but sometimes we can make them ill by over-feeding them. Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all.