Dog owners often have two quandaries to consider when it comes to Thanksgiving.

The first deals with what traditional thanksgiving food is good for your dog and what you should avoid. The second is making sure they feel safe with visitors in your home.

There is generally an upswing in trips to the vet around Thanksgiving, and that’s often because people feed their dogs the wrong food.

Let’s start with the obvious. Turkey meat, sweet potatoes and pumpkin are all safe to feed your dogs.

As far as the turkey though, make sure there are no bones, skin or seasoning.

Sweet potatoes are perfect for your dogs. In fact, many dog owners offer their dogs a dehydrated sweet potato chew. When it comes to other potatoes, boiled or baked is fine but leave off the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.

Pumpkin is considered to be a healthy snack. It helps with the digestive system, skin and coat.

Additionally, apples, green beans, peas and certain dessert – especially frozen yogurt – are all good. Just remember to leave off the spices.

As we already said, avoid turkey bones and skin. Also on the do-not-feed list are stuffing, casseroles mashed potatoes, creamed vegetables, chocolate, alcoholic beverages, ham and fatty foods.

Finally, if your dog is not used to visitors, here are some ideas to consider. Walk your dog before guests arrive to burn energy. Leash your dog before opening the door. Let your guests feed your dog treats. That can make your visitors and the dog more comfortable and will likely keep your dog from jumping on your guests. And always make sure your dog has a safe place in the home where they feel comfortable and secure.

If your dog gets sick from the wrong food or suffers anxiety from the visitors, you may want to plan a trip to the vet. And remember, with it being Thanksgiving weekend, you probably want to know in advance about when the vet’s office will be open.

Happy Thanksgiving!