I know that our family would not be complete without them. Their unconditional love and laughable personalities would leave a huge void in our house if they were not there. As I have said many times, they are a part of the family. They just don't have the ability to fully show their appreciation of their family. Sure, a tail wag or lick on the cheek is a decent gesture, but if only they could talk.
The problem is that pets have too short a lifespan. If we are fortunate enough to live a normal life expectancy, we will see several furry family members pass on.
How could someone be thankful for the past year if they have lost a loving pet? Memories! We can be thankful for all the wonderful years and good times that a deceased pet has allowed us to experience. Once again, if only they could talk. I think most pets would tell us to keep their fond memories close to our hearts and let go of any negative thoughts of disease or accidents. Therefore, I like to give thanks for the pets we have presently as well as those awesome memories of our deceased pets.
The one thing I won't be doing this Thanksgiving is sharing the leftovers with Jazz and Marlo.
First of all, Jazz, our golden retriever, has to eat only prescription food to prevent crystals from forming in her urine, which leads to a urinary tract infection. Any protein she ingests other than what is in her dog food will likely cause her problems. She does not know what she can or cannot eat. She would "gobble "down turkey without chewing it. No pun intended. Then, within a couple of days, she would probably develop a bladder infection.
On the other hand Marlo is a typical Yorkie with a very sensitive gastrointestinal tract. It only takes a tiny amount of human food for our four pound spit fire terror, I mean terrier, to become sick. She would likely have vomiting, diarrhea, or both. Anyone who owns a little dog less than five pounds knows how pitiful it is when it is sick.
The first couple of days after Thanksgiving are inevitably busy days at the vet clinic. It never fails. We experience countless phone calls and appointments for dogs and cats that are paying the price for enjoying the tasty Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.
Of course, almost every dog and cat loves the taste of turkey, dressing and especially gravy. But, usually, it does not like them. Gastritis, enteritis, and pancreatitis are the primary cases seen right after Thanksgiving. Some cases are mild stomach upset. However, many cases are serious and possibly life-threatening.
The point is, you are not always making your pet happy by feeding it human food. Sometimes, certain pets may become very ill simply from eating your Thanksgiving leftovers.
This year, giving thanks should include our pets; however, we should not include our pets when it comes to finishing off the notorious leftovers. This year refrain from feeding people food to your pets to help ensure they live a long, healthy, and happy life.
