By Heidi Clayton
Every Thanksgiving my Facebook feed gets flooded with warnings about the dangers of giving dogs Thanksgiving turkey. The warning stems from veterinary practices reporting a spike in cases of pancreatitis caused by dogs over-indulging on items from the Thanksgiving menu.
My 12-year-old bull terrier Ki is no stranger to this ailment and has been hospitalized as a result of dietary indiscretions during which he stealthily helped himself to cookies and multiple bully sticks. Pancreatitis is a life-threatening and painful condition that can result in death if not treated quickly.
The pancreas is part of the digestive system. Its function is to release enzymes into the small intestine. These enzymes help break down food. The pancreas produces insulin. It also makes hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar levels.
Inflammation in the pancreas disrupts the flow of these enzymes, resulting in inflammation or pancreatitis. Left untreated, the dangers include the death of tissues, organ failure, or sepsis. Feeding your dog foods that are high in fat, even when consumed in seemingly small quantities, can result in pancreatitis.
Most people prepare the Thanksgiving turkey by either basting it, brining it, or stuffing it with butter before roasting. The result is a rich and tasty turkey to humans, but one that is entirely too rich for your dog. Even Thanksgiving vegetables like sweet potatoes or green beans become laden in fat when coated in brown sugar or a rich, creamy mushroom soup.
My dog once invaded a Christmas gift bag that contained bully sticks which had been placed under the Christmas tree by a guest, and on another occasion stood on a chair to eat a tray of cookies. A few days after these transgressions, he began vomiting massive amounts of a rather foul bile.
Diagnosing pancreatitis involves blood work and most likely an ultrasound. If the case is serious enough, your dog will have to be hospitalized where they are fasted, given IV fluids, and usually meds for vomiting.
Once the blood work confirms that the pancreas is functioning normally, food will slowly be reintroduced. It took a four-day hospital stay for Ki’s pancreas to function normally again on one of his visits.
Taking preventative measures can save you the worry of your dog falling victim to pancreatitis. Take a few minutes to put away all food that is brought into the house and safely store it out of reach from your dog using baby gates to block off dining areas or countertops. Be sure to let all of your guests know that the Thanksgiving menu is only available to humans and not the dog.
I keep my dog worries to a minimum by giving my dogs a nice marrow bone in the confines of their room or crates until dinner is over. That way I make sure the dogs aren’t helping themselves to something that could hurt them.
The holidays are hectic enough without an unwanted visit to the ER. Make your life easier and your dog’s life safer by managing their access to tasty fatty foods.
Four on the Floor wishes you all a very peaceful and happy Thanksgiving.
Heidi Clayton started Four on the Floor Dog Training as a result of her own struggle to find a positive and reward-based dog trainer in South Jersey. She breeds, trains, and shows her own bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloor.dog.
Heidi Clayton is a retired 25 year veteran of the Atlantic City Police Department. She started Four on the Floor Dog Training a result of her own struggle to find a positive & reward based dog trainer in the South Jersey area. She is passionate about giving every dog, even the difficult ones, a voice and the skills they need to thrive in life. She breeds, trains, and shows her own Bull Terriers under the SoraBullys’s Kennel Name.
