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Is it Okay to Feed Your Dog and Cat from the Holiday Table? Just This Once?

Too Much Fatty Food at Thanksgiving or Christmas or Any Time Could Spell Trouble for Fido

Teresa Ambord
Teresa Ambord, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 23, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
The turkey's been in the oven for hours, and you're not the only one enticed by its smell. Remember those old cartoons where the dog catches the scent of something wonderful and floats away on a cloud of good smelling food? Your pets can smell that turkey better than you can, and you can bet if possible, your dog will try to position himself nearby when the bird is ready to eat. Dogs know a feast when they smell one. And who can resist those eyes, begging for a morsel of the heavenly food? So... you let him indulge. To make matters worse, you may give him the parts of the bird that are less desirable to you, not just the meat but the skin and the fat.

When he's done with that, he waits patiently by the next kind soul. Uncle Marty doesn't know you've already fed him, and slips a few bites of turkey or ham under the table. And so does Aunt Viv and so does Grandma and each one of the kids. Fido might even end up with some pumpkin pie with whipped cream in his dish.

A few hours later, Fido is throwing up on the carpet, and on Uncle Marty's shoes. But that's not the end of it. Now he's walking with his back hunched, retching, and acting subdued. You may even notice when you take him outside that his poop is bloody. And on Thanksgiving night, you find yourself looking for a vet that is open because Fido needs more help than you can give him.

Your dog is suffering from a "dietary indiscretion," meaning, he ate too much rich food. Even if you reach your own vet by phone, he or she may tell you to get Fido to an emergency clinic, because the consequences of his fatty meal may be serious. Usually, this overindulgence isn't fatal, but may require X-rays and lab tests. Chances are, you'll be told that your pet has an inflammation of the stomach lining, known as acute gastritis. That condition is bad enough, but can also lead to pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas, which can be fatal). Imagine spending your Thanksgiving hooked up to an IV and being pumped with antibiotics and limited for the next few days to ice chips and a bland diet.

Hopefully you'll take this warning seriously and not let your dog overdo it. But you can still let him have some treats. For his sake, skip the rich, fatty, spicy stuff. Instead, give him his regular food, with a spoonful of white meat or turkey broth mixed in.

Published by Teresa Ambord

I'm a lifelong resident of California, fortunate enough to have migrated to the northern, rural end of the state back in 1971. I'm a divorced mother of one grown son, and now I spend free time helping with a...  View profile

  • You can get more great information like this, along with updates on where you can travel with your pets at www.takeyourpet.com, which is a large pet travel site featuring a directory of over 40,000+ pet friendly bed and breakfasts, hotels, inns, motels, and resorts. Also, free pet travel guides and newsletter.
  • Sure, he's giving you the sad eyes. But be careful how Fido celebrates the holidays.
  • Too much fat, salt, and/or spice could put your best friend in the emergency room.
  • We people overindulge and pay the price, but Fido needs us to help him make good decisions.
When you are on a diet, do you crave bread? Believe it or not, so do cats. If you have put your chubby cat on a diet, hide the bread or you may have a table raider. And for dogs or cats, if you've cut back their portions to get them to lose weight, be sure not to leave the table while there is food on it. Even enormous dogs have been found standing with all fours on the table, and in food dishes. Also if the trash can is within reach, beware what you put in it. A fast food wrapper, a popsicle stick, a sack that held smelly food, and most important, the sharp-edged lid of a food can are all enough to entice your pet to tip over the waste basket and scavenge. Not only is there mess, and extra calories, but what your pet finds there might cause serious injury.

8 Comments

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  • Michelle L Devon11/29/2006

    the vet did say giving fresh fruits and veggies was good, but the cooked stuff was bad... fats, oils, salts, spices, etc are hard on their little digestive systems. My sister has a jack russell who will eat whole apples like nobodies business and the vet says this is good for him. I had a poodle eat an entire bag of gummie worms by accident one day and he was sick for days. People food is for people. Good article, but I loved the pics even more. Hilarious (I'm sure it didn't seem it at the moment though)

  • Donna11/27/2006

    Your article is so correct and it is so hard to NOT give in to them! I will sometimes give my pooch bland veggies (no seasoning) to her dog food, sometimes some lean meats. Everything you said is so true, their systems can't take all the seasoning, salts and fats. (and NO bones, especially poultry and any bone that splinters) GREAT article!

  • Teresa Ambord11/27/2006

    Tiffany... I agree to some extent. But you'll notice the article said "too much fatty foods." That's the key.

  • Sherri Granato11/26/2006

    My grandmother used to "slop" her animals. Anything leftover went into their dish. Then she always wondered why they were always sick and died from heart worms. Different vets have told me that pets should be very limited on table scraps for a variety of reasons. Your article is accurate and well written, great job!

  • Lucinda11/26/2006

    Great article! We checked with our vet before giving our cat any people food and she is rather spoiled to it now, but if I give her the wrong things, her litter box certainly lets me know! We limit her to five to 10 bites of bland meat a day and keep an eye on her weight and her nutrition, all with good vet supervision.
    Your article is great for your pets...now, do you have a good way to advise friends and spouses of the same things?

  • Manda Spring11/26/2006

    I am always telling my hubby not to feed the dog, and then again with the kids... Thanks for writing this article, I'll gladly share it with them! :) Good style and accuracy Teresa, as always.

  • SL Bradish11/26/2006

    I used to feed my dog from the table all the time, he lived to be a very old dog but just the same... I had no idea. Thanks for this piece!!!

  • Rond Drew11/25/2006

    My vet tells me the same advice. This is well done.

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