BEAUMONT, Texas — When you sit down at your dinner table to eat your Thanksgiving meal, its tempting to give your pets a little bite from your plate. But it's important to be aware of what food are, and aren't, safe for you furry family.
"Everything has to be unseasoned. Pumpkin, unseasoned pumpkin. Dogs love it and it's good for them good for their skin and good for their coat," said Humane Society Manager Taylor Westphal.
This is Westphal's second Thanksgiving with the Humane Society of Southeast Texas. He says a simple treat can bring big problems.
"I know everyone, myself included, we love to spoil our pets and give some of the holiday treats and let them partake in what we're doing.... but the main thing is, you really want to keep them on their same diet that they've been on," Westphal said.
Experts say don't feed your pets turkey skin or gravy or fat trimmings from ham.
"It's definitely the turkey bones. They are like glass when they break they become shards and very difficult to digest. Rip the lining of the abdomen or perforate a bowel. Which can lead to internal bleeding or hemorrhaging," said Westphal.
These are serious injuries that could lead to an expensive trip to an emergency vet clinic.
"You're looking at just starting off to get in there at $500-750 easily will go over the $1k mark seeking emergency services," Westphal told 12News.
But don't let this drive you away from allowing your pet to participate in the Thanksgiving festivities.
"If you can throw them some unseasoned turkey breast here and there, definitely a good thing," said Westphal.
The Humane Society of Southeast Texas posted a list of foods to avoid on their Facebook.