Thanksgiving food may be scrumptious, but those tempting turkey legs and delicious dessert trays can lead to a number of pet safety hazards. Keeping them safe amongst the excitement is important because one minute you’ve got a turkey and the next a guilty (and adorable) face. Avoid disaster this holiday with three Thanksgiving tips for pets and have a healthy and happy turkey day. 

1. Inform Your Guests

Thanksgiving is often a time of welcoming a bunch of people into your home, and sometimes these people are completely new to your pet. The solution? Explain your house rules before company arrives. If your pet is a door-dasher remind guests to be mindful at doors. Also, providing a safe, quiet, calm space for your pet away from the party may help reduce anxiety and nerves - just be sure to keep food, water and toys nearby and to check on them often throughout the evening.

Most importantly, supervise all interactions between pets and children. Some children do not know the appropriate way to approach a pet, so ensure everyone is happy (and safe) when your pet is getting attention from younger guests.

2. Maintain the Routine

Holidays often come with new people, hectic schedules, loud parties and emotions running high – so try to sticking to their normal schedule will help reduce anxiety and nerves. Try not to skip your dog’s morning walk or feed them at a different time just because it’s Thanksgiving. Fresh air and a brisk walk might be just the thing to counteract any nervous energy and ward off stress. If you’re too backed up with cooking and cleaning, make arrangements to hire a pet sitter who can do it for you.

3. Keep Temptations Out of Reach

Those mouth-watering turkey legs and delectable desserts are disaster bound. A great way to avoid this situation is to have a dedicated person keeping an eye out and cleaning any plates left around the house. And remember, no matter how cute they may be, remind guests not to feed table scraps to your pet. We know, this seems like an impossible task. Instead, be prepared with toys and healthy dog treats to distract your pet and reward good behavior.

So please, no table scraps.

If you suspect your dog has ingested something toxic on Thanksgiving, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 immediately.

Instead, plan a special feast for your dog on Thanksgiving that's sure to have your pooch begging for more. Try your hand at these simple Thanksgiving-inspired homemade dog treats

Easy Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup of canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Ready In: 1 h 40 minutes

Thanksgiving and pets go hand in hand, so be sure to keep your four-legged family safe this holiday season!