TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If you have some leftovers in the fridge from Thanksgiving dinner, what's the harm in scraping some table scraps into the dog bowl?
Well, depending on the scraps, the harm could be some costly vet bills or pain for your pet.
Emergency veterinarian Dr. Shannon Cochran works at Eastside Tucson vet clinic Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center. She says the holidays mark the start of their busy season.
“What we see around the holidays, which I’m expecting to see a lot of this weekend, is pancreatitis,” Cochran said.
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of your pet's pancreas, often caused by eating rich, fatty food their digestive systems can't handle. This includes some Thanksgiving classics like pies, turkey skin and stuffing.
That's just the start of the list of foods to avoid. Off the top of her head, Cochran listed raisins, grapes, chocolate and some sugar-free desserts.
"A lot of times, sugar-free deserts contain xylitol and that can be really bad for dogs," she said. "We're seeing a lot of dogs get into sugar-free gum these days."
Food isn't the only thing to look out for, since absolutely anything could be food to some more curious dogs.
Cochran says they've seen pets come in who had ingested holiday decorations, wrapping paper or lights.
"They'll get into the tinsel and oftentimes it’ll cause an obstruction," she said. "It’ll anchor at the base of their tongue, or it’ll anchor in their stomach and their intestines kind of move around it.”
She's also seen a fair amount of pets who tried a bit of their owner's marijuana stash.
"Please be honest with the veterinary staff if your pet got into marijuana," Cochran said. She used to practice in Colorado, so she has seen a number of pets who've stuck their noses in the wrong place.
She says the signs are similar to those of a neurological problem in animals, which would be much more expensive and complicated to find and treat.
If your pet does eat some of the forbidden foods, Cochran advises not to make them vomit without veterinary advice. The first step is to call your emergency vet or poison control.
If you do want to give your pet a plate this holiday season, she says you can always add skinless, boneless turkey meat, green beans or sweet potatoes.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
