Why Teddy doesn’t get Thanksgiving scraps

This Thanksgiving my family and friends will load up their plates with sweet potato casserole, stuffing and smoked turkey, then go back for seconds.

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We’re not the traditional pumpkin pie crowd, so if anyone is still hungry, cupcakes and ice cream will be offered.

The leftovers are divided up — but only among the humans.

Although 56 percent of Petmed.com readers say they give their pets Thanksgiving leftovers, those foods often can cause digestive problems for dogs, including diarrhea, loss of appetite and vomiting, according to thefuntimesguide.com.

Dr. Savannah Hoying, a local vet, sees a spike every holiday season in dogs with pancreatitis and stomach or intestinal distress. Digesting people food is usually the cause.

She said every dog is different. Some eat people food and have little to no adverse reactions.

Our Lab Teddy is not one of those.

The few times we’ve given him bits of our leftovers, the pooch has thrown then up almost as quickly as he’s chowed them down.

Ed, my husband, Jordan, my daughter, and I no longer give Teddy leftovers.

Grandma Jeannette was a different story. She gave our passed dogs, Mocha and Lucy, tidbits of turkey on Thanksgiving. Both dogs loved Grandma Jeannette.

After we bombarded her with “Teddy throwing up” stories, she got on board. Grandma Jeannette now gives her granddog only dog treats after Thanksgiving dinner.

Teddy, a picky eater, hasn’t always liked the dog food we’ve given him

He will sniff the offering and taste a few nuggets. If it doesn’t meet his standards, the rest of the nuggets remain in the bowl.

Over the past two years, we’ve offered him green beans, small pieces of apples, and slices of green pepper - all foods Mocha and Lucy loved.

Teddy doesn’t have the same love as Mocha and Lucy did for those foods.

This Thanksgiving, our little food connoisseur will follow us around the kitchen as we prepare the holiday feast. His nose will be stuck high in the air smelling the delicious aromas.

If one of the cooks offers a small morsel of the food being prepared, Teddy will gently take it and promptly drop it on the floor.

It’s his modus operandi.

The only two people foods Teddy will consistently eat are baby carrots and cheddar cheese. Neither seems to bother his digestive system.

Every evening after dinner, Teddy follows me around the kitchen until I give him a baby carrot. He earns cheese cubes for good behavior.

So this Thanksgiving, our people-food-sensitive picky eater will get his usual half cup of his dog food in his bowl and another half cup of dog food in his red Kong.

Teddy will chow down on his after-dinner baby carrot, then, for a special Thanksgiving treat, he’ll get one of his yogurt ice cream treats.

In addition, the pooch will get an extra-long walk with Ed. Teddy won’t need to walk off what he gobbled down but his dad will.

5 no-no foods

Dr. Hoying’s top five human foods harmful to dogs:

1. Onion

2. Garlic

3. Macadamia nuts

4. Grapes

5. Tomatoes

To learn about more harmful foods, Dr. Hoying recommends going online to www.aspca.com.

Karin Spicer, a magazine writer, has been entertaining families for more than 20 years. She lives in Bellbrook with her family and two furry animals all who provide inspiration for her work. She can be reached at spicerkarin@gmail.com.

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