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By Laurie Denger, Staff Writer 5:41 PM Friday, November 20, 2009

By Thursday, most of us will be shoveling food into our mouths and then collapsing on the couch.

Happy Thanksgiving.

But our pets could suffer from our sudden excessive diet — if we don’t watch what we shovel onto their plates.

If your pet isn’t used to getting table scraps or “people” food, Thanksgiving isn’t the time to start a new tradition.

Your pet simply can’t handle the extra fat or calories from greasy turkey skin or sugary desserts left on someone’s plate. So don’t use your pet to clean up the leftovers.

And NEVER give a pet a cooked bone. They splinter and can severely damage a pet’s throat or intestines.

If any of your dishes contain mushrooms or onions, don’t give them to your pet. Both are toxic for dogs and cats.

Chocolate and caffeine are also off-limits for pets.

And now is a good time to discuss those holiday decorations.

Karl Lentz, DVM, owner and director of All Bay Animal Hospital in Concord, Calif., has compiled a list of health and safety hazards for the holiday season.

They include:

Christmas trees and decorations: Secure the trees with guide wires affixed to temporary hooks on the wall. Attached ornaments and tinsel can be swallowed, chewed or get tangled inside a pet when eaten.

Ribbons, wrappings and strings: They can entangle around necks causing strangulation, or be swallowed and cause life-threatening obstructions.

Floral arrangements, mistletoe and holiday house plants: Holiday arrangements and mistletoe may cause serious toxicity or internal damage if chewed or swallowed.

Yeast dough: If swallowed, yeast can expand in the digestive system and cause severe pain or even rupture the stomach or intestines.

Fireplaces and candles: Keep lit candles out of reach and barriers around fireplaces.

Open doors: More visitors mean more open doors and more opportunities for escape.

Cold or damp weather: Older pets may not be able to handle the cool and damp weather. Make sure they have warm enclosures or can come inside.

As an extra precaution, make sure you have your veterinarian’s phone number, local veterinary emergency center and national poison control centers handy in case of a pet emergency.

Adult and puppy classes offered

Pet Behavior and Training Services is offering adult and puppy classes starting Saturday, Nov. 28. The four-week class costs $40. Adult class is at 9 a.m. and the puppy class is at 10 a.m. at PBTS, 1407 Business Center Court, Dayton.

For registration and more information, call (937) 293-5686 or visit www.petbehaviorand trainingservices.org.

Pet Remembrance Service in Kettering

Christ United Methodist Church in Kettering will hold a Pet Remembrance Service today, Nov. 22, to honor and remember our dearly departed pets. The service will be held at the church on Shroyer Road in Christ Chapel at 12:15 p.m.

Anyone wanting to share the joys and fond memories of pets who have died are invited to attend. You also are invited to bring a picture of your lost companion if you would like.

For more information, contact Nancy Byrd (937) 293-3151, ext.149.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2248 or ldenger@Dayton DailyNews.com.

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