[caption id="attachment_49167" align="alignleft" width="200"] Photo: Cheryl G.[/caption]
Dr. Kenneth Drobatz, Chief of the Emergency Service at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital, offers the following tips to keep pets healthy and out of the emergency room this Thanksgiving:
Festive Foods
Maintain your pet’s regular diet. Treats of turkey, ham, gravy, cookies, and other goodies can lead to gastrointestinal upsets like diarrhea and vomiting.
Dispose of all bones carefully so that pets cannot get to them. Poultry bones are particularly dangerous, as they can splinter and cut the intestines or get lodged in your pet’s esophagus.
Guilty pleasures for humans, like chocolate and alcohol, can be toxic to pets. Keep chocolate, nuts, and alcoholic beverages out-of-reach from your pets, as they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or a condition called pancreatitis, which can be deadly. Grapes and raisins can be toxic to pets, as well.
Be sure that everyone in your family knows and understands what your pets can and cannot consume.
If you want your pet to be able to join you in special holiday food, why not try Merrick's line of Thanksgiving food.
In Case of Emergency
As with any potential emergency, immediate attention from a veterinarian is imperative. Contact your veterinarian immediately or Penn Vet’s Emergency Service which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital is the only institution in the country recognized as both a Level I Facility and a designated Veterinary Trauma Center.
The Emergency Service is staffed by an integrated team of board-certified specialists who attend to each patient’s emergency and critical care needs. Call 215-746-8911 or visit Ryan Hospital at 3900 Spruce Street.