The Detroit Dog Rescue is sending out warning to animal lovers. Thanksgiving dinner can be a dangerous time for your pets.
Thanksgiving feasts look delicious, not only to humans, but to dogs.
“Unfortunately my dog is a victim of pancreatitis. That is why I am so serious about it,” said Kristina Millman-Rinaldi, the Executive Director of the Detroit Dog Rescue.
Kristina says her dog Smokey didn’t get sick on Thanksgiving, but she learned many dogs do. Pancreatitis is life threatening and can lead to an up to $3 thousand veterinarian bill.
Dogs get sick after they get into food left out on the counter or get a large treat from their owner.
“Nobody wants to spend Thanksgiving in the vet with their dog with pancreatitis. And what it is, it is actually an inflammation of the pancreas in the dog. It leads to vomiting, being lethargic, you might see the dog stretching out from from head to tail because they are trying to relieve that irritation or pain in their stomach,” explains Kristina.
The fact is dogs simply can’t handle a large amount of high fat foods. But dogs don’t know this. They just know it tastes good. The message is if you are going to give your dog a Thanksgiving day treat, stick to lean turkey, green beans, or sweet potatoes with no butter.
“Gravies, macaroni and cheese, potatoes with butter in it. All of those things can inflame the pancreas and lead right to an emergency veterinary visit on Thanksgiving,” warns Kristina.
On a side note, the English Bulldog who appeared in our story is available for adoption through the Detroit Dog Rescue. His name is Tank. You can find out more at https://detroitdogrescue.com.
