While we gather for that big family Thanksgiving feast, you should be mindful that it can also be fraught with hazards for at least one family member.

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Boy sneaking dog food from the table (John Howard, ThinkStock)
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Lakewood veterinarian Peter Falk says your dog or cat will be seeing a lot of family members that they do not see every day, and there may be temptation to feed the animal from that big bounty before them.

"People have to really careful," Falk said of feeding pets from the table.

Falk says besides the often-cited hazards of feeding a dog turkey bones or fatty skin, other no-nos include chocolate, grapes and raisins and anything that contains artificial sweeteners.

"Thanksgiving may be one day for us, but Thanksgiving is every day for our pets," he said.

Falk says some things on holidays are more problematic than others.

"Even though we may direct people that it is probably a good idea not to make diet changes with their pet, clearly two-thirds of the people feel that it is necessary to feed their dogs something," he said.

Falk has given us some do's and don't's about pets around the house during a holiday meal:

  • DO: Falk says if they want to, and the dog is begging and the like, probably feeding them something like green beans would be fine, or even the white meat of turkey.
  • DO: make sure that if there is any strings or other things tied to the turkey that that is removed before you share with your pet.
  • DON'T give your dog grapes or raisins. They can, in some pets, cause very severe kidney issues.
  • DON'T give dogs chocolate. Quite frequently, chocolate will show up at these holiday affairs, either before or after the big meal. Falk says chocolate is always a big no for dogs, because in small amounts it will upset their stomach. Larger amounts, something called theobromine can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack.
  • DON'T: give pets artificial sweeteners, specifically Xylitol, that may be in some foods or diebetic foods or in different kinds of cranberry sauces.
  • DON'T: give dogs poultry bones. When the dogs eat them, they have a tendency to splinter. So if they swallow them, there can be intestinal problems, whether it is an obstruction or a perforation. Those can be real serious things to deal with.
  • DON'T: give pets turkey/chicken skin or fatty foods. "If the pet clearly is not used to them, they can cause some stomach upset and intestinal upsets, and may even lead to some problems with the pancreas. They are hard to digest on a regular basis," Falk said.

Falk also said pet owners should be careful when everyone leaves that big table after the feast to make sure the dog doesn't get into something harmful. Be careful, even when cleaning up, so that the dogs do not have access to the garbage or things that are left on the table.

Falk says some of the larger breeds like labradors and golden retrievers are known for their ability to do, "counter-surfing," and find things that they like. Do not leave the garbage. Take it out.

"You have to be mindful of your pet and where they are and how they are feeling about all of this," Falk said. "Most people like us, we love our pets and we treat them very, very well. So Thanksgiving may be one day for us, but Thanksgiving is every day for our pets."

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5.

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