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Thanksgiving is a time for families, but what if a relative wants to bring their dog to dinner? The choice is yours as host (read this if you're a guest), but if you agree, then prepare your home:

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• Keep shoes in a closet in case the guest dog is a shoe-eater.

 

• Tuck away any loose wires in your home. You don't want your guest dog pulling or gnawing at anything.

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• Set ground rules with your guest to keep their pet off your furniture to avoid damage.

 

• Have a bowl with water and some dog-friendly treats handy. (Your guest may have some already.)

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• Ideally, have dog toys available. (Again, your guest may have some.)

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• In case of accidents, have extra Scott towels handy.

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• Keep turkey away from dogs who are counter surfers (food thieves). Turkey itself found in commercial dog food, but the birds we cook for Thanksgiving are rubbed with butter and oils, and stuffed with onions, garlic and herbs. These all give dogs indigestion and, in the worst cases, pancreatitis. To safely feed your dog pure turkey meat, read more.

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• No bones! Poultry bones are notoriously brittle and can choke your dog. Further, bone fragments can pierce their stomach lining or injure their mouths or tongues. Read bones Keep eat-turkey.

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• It takes a very small amount of onions to poison a cat or dog. You are probably not giving raw onions to your pets, but do not forget about the dehydrated version in soup mixes like Lipton which then gets added to your stews, chicken dishes etc. Onion rings, other foods fried with onions are also a no-no as cooked onions are more concentrated and therefore more dangerous. Beware of dishes with onion powder also. (-Tiffany Stevanovich)

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• Same thing with garlic. Sort of. You can feed your dog fresh, raw organic garlic, but nothing from a jar. And don't feed it in any form to puppies or pregnant dogs. Garlic is actually healthy for dogs, but it depends on what form and quantity. Read more.

 

• If you as the host own a cat(s) and the guest is bringing a dog, keep your cat(s) in another room. Both animals may not mix.

 

• Similarly, if you have a dog, make sure that your pet and your guest's dog get along.

 

• If your guest's dog is wandering and active around your house, keep an eye on their pet during the evening.

 

• Generally speaking, be in touch with your guest as your prepare. After all, your guest likely will (and should) prepare their pet to visit your home.

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Happy Thanksgiving!