The best way to give thanks to your American Bully this season is to keep them safe. Make sure your Bully is happy and healthy this holiday season by following these safety tips for Thanksgiving.
1. Food Safety
When we think of Thanksgiving, we think of food. Lots and lots of food. Your Bully should be able to enjoy a nice feast with you, just not with the same foods. There are many foods and ingredients that are harmful and poisonous to your Bully that every pet owner should be aware of:
Turkey - For those wondering if your Bully can eat turkey, the answer is yes. It can be safe for your pup to get a piece of turkey as long as it has not been prepared with any seasoning and to avoid bones and skin. Anything prepared with butter, spices, and other ingredients will cause issues for American Bully.
Garlic, Onion, Scallions - Speaking of other ingredients that may cause issues for your Bully, garlic, onion, and scallions should be avoided when it comes to feeding your pup. These ingredients are very common in all types of dishes for a Thanksgiving meal, but they can be toxic to your pet. Garlic, onion, scallions, and other ingredients alike can cause destruction of their red blood cells. It is best to avoid foods that may likely include with these seasonings such as green beans, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.Â
Pies & Desserts - The best part about a Thanksgiving meal are the sweet desserts. Pies, cakes, and cookies are great after a big savory meal, but unfortunately, need to be kept away from your Bully. These treats contain raw eggs, butter, and other ingredients that cannot be consumed or digested well by your pup. Rather than these desserts, look into safe and delicious treats made specifically for pups!
Alcohol - Anything concerning alcohol can get messy fast! Including pets into the mix can make matters worse. Alcohol is highly toxic for pets and ingestion of alcohol can cause seizures and respiratory failure. This also includes alcohol from fermenting yeast in bread dough which can result in alcohol poisoning as well. Keep your alcoholic beverages safe and your pets safer!Â
Everyone loves a good meal for Thanksgiving, and your American Bully deserves a plate full of delicious foods that won't cause them any harm or upsets. The holidays can get hectic and stressful and you may have 99 problems, but your pup's health won't be one!
2. Parties with Pets
Thanksgiving is all about family and friends gathering together for a day of celebration. Although having a house filled with guests and excitement sounds fun, but it may not be fun for your pet.
Dogs can become very nervous or even overly excited when there are too many people around, especially people they have never met before. This could cause your Bully to feel anxious or even get aggressive due to their excitement. Try putting your American Bully in a separate room away from all of the craziness and loud noise with food, water, and a bunch of toys to keep them entertained.Â
Parties can also mean not paying close attention to your pet. Make sure to keep an eye out for your Bully and the door while guests are coming and going. Your Bully might spring one on you and make a run for the door. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure that your pup has their collar and dog tag, which contains updated contact information, on during this time so in the case of an emergency, the lost pet can be properly identified and brought home.
3. Decor Dangers
What is a celebration without the appropriate decorations? Not a celebration at all. The holiday season marks festive decor, beautiful ornaments, and floral centerpieces. Although these decorations and masterpieces brightens the holiday spirit, they can also ruin it as well if your pup gets their paws on them. Your curious Bully might sniff and put their nose somewhere they shouldn't be like a candle that smells like pine and pumpkins or glass ornaments and flower arrangements in glass vases. One knock over and chaos can ensue. Practice some pet protected decor to ensure that everything stays beautifully decorated and everyone stays safe.
4. Travel Tips
Traveling for the holidays is crazy in of itself. Traveling with a pet? Even crazier. It's a big deal, especially since along travel, some places and modes of transportation aren't pet-friendly. It will not only cause you stress, but cause your Bully some stress as well, being in new environments with new people. The best way to keep you, your Bully, and others safe while traveling is to prepare some important materials:
- Copy of your pet's medical records
- Proper identification (dog tag/collar with contact information)
- Harness and/or carrier
- Portable pet water bottle
These are just a few items that you should keep on hand while traveling with your Bully this holiday season. You never know when it'll come in handy, and it's better to be safe than sorry!
These 4 simple but very important safety tips will help the holidays be filled with fun and laughter without the stress and chaos. Keep the celebration and gifts of thanks going by keeping your Bully safe and stuffed (with the right food!) this Thanksgiving.Â