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Sharing Your Holiday Feast Under The Table

We have been taught that sharing ‘people’ food with our pets is dangerous, and many people proudly state that their pets never eat ‘table scraps’ or ‘people food’. Unfortunately, this often leaves our friends with a dry, bland diet with a lack of nutrient diversity. The good news is sharing healthy, real food is healthy for all animals; dogs, cats, and humans! Please share skinless turkey meat, giblets (in moderation), plain sweet potato, green beans, apples, canned pumpkin and pureed spinach.

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Turkey Vegetable Frittata (courtesy of Whole Dog Journal):
2 Cups cooked cubed turkey 1 Cup steamed broccoli
1 cup steamed cauliflower 4 eggs
¼ Cup plain yogurt

Beat eggs and yogurt together. Mix turkey and vegetables in a glass pie plate.
Pour egg mixture over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and share!

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Foods to Avoid Completely:

Tea and Coffee: Cats and dogs are very sensitive to caffeine.

Grapes and Raisins: Contain potent kidney toxins for dogs.

Salty Foods: Hotdogs, tinned soups, deli meats, etc., contain far too much sodium for a cat or dog’s body to process.

Alcohol: Cats and dogs are highly susceptible to alcohol’s toxic effects.

Sweet Desserts: Cats and dogs are poorly equipped to handle sugary foods, and are uniquely prone to developing diabetes.

Onions: This common veggie, often used in turkey stuffing, can destroy a dog’s red blood cells.

Chocolate: This favorite holiday treat contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which can over-stimulate a dog’s central nervous system and cause life-threatening problems.

Spoiled or Moldy Food: Spoiled leftovers are never an acceptable pet food.

Cooked Bones: Avoid all cooked bones, poultry or otherwise. They easily splinter and snap and may cause serious internal problems if swallowed.

Gravy and Sauces or High Fat Foods: Most are too rich for a dog or cat and may contain fat, seasonings, sugar and/or cream that can upset your companion’s digestion. Ice cream, bacon, cooking grease/drippings and turkey or chicken skin and butter can lead to pancreatitis.