Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

With the holiday season upon us, there are a few safety concerns you should keep in mind when it comes to your pets.

If you are hosting a large Thanksgiving Day dinner, you will want to take a few precautions. One of the most common reasons for a trip to your veterinarian, post-Thanksgiving is because your cat or dog ate something they shouldn’t have and is now experiencing vomiting and diarrhea.

An over-indulgence in rich, fatty foods can even lead to a bout of pancreatitis! Click of the following links for information on pancreatitis and your dog or cat. To keep your pet healthy this holiday weekend, take a few precautions:

  • As tempting as it might be to give your cat or dog table scraps during a holiday dinner, avoid foods that are rich and high in fat content such as turkey skin, stuffing and gravy.
  • Do not give your pet bones from your turkey carcass. These bones are known to splinter and can cause major health problems!
  • Once you’ve carved your turkey, bag your carcass and take it out of the house immediately. Your pet will be tempted to investigate the wonderful smells coming from a container inside your home. Once outside, dispose of your turkey carcass in a pet-proof, garbage can with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Don’t allow your pet to eat grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions or yeast dough.

If despite your best efforts, your pet DOES manage to get into something harmful, contact your veterinarian, or the closest animal emergency clinic right away. We will be closed on Thanksgiving day, but you can call the following animal emergency clinics:

The Animal Emergency Clinic in Lee's Summit 816-554-4990
The Veterinary Speciality and Emergency Center 913-642-9563
Mission MedVet 913-722-5566

They will care for you and your pet until we open again at 7:00am on Friday!