My Maggie girl died on Sunday from eating chicken fat and skin.

She had pancreatitis, we didn't know until it was too late.

You can save your dog from a painful and heartbreaking death by throwing your chicken or turkey fat and skin, and your ham scraps in the garbage on Thanksgiving.

We fed my dog Maggie chicken skin and fat last Sunday thinking we were giving her a treat.

I had to take her to the vet on Tuesday. She started with gas on Monday, then diarrhea, then vomiting – first her food, then any water she tried to drink.

If you see these signs and your dog seems unusually ill, take her to the vet straight away, it may save her life.

When she started vomiting water, I watched her for a few hours to see if she was improving but she didn't, so I took her to the vet.

I will have more about it later, but for now to make a long story short, Sunday morning she died.

I didn't know that she was sick or that it could be so dangerous to feed your dogs (or cats) chicken fat and skin.

Prolonged fat in a young dog's diet can make him prone to this disease in his older years as well.

So just a head's up.

Remember Maggie, she was a gift from the day she arrived, her passing was heartbreaking beyond measure.

Keep your pet safe and give thanks for the blessing of having him (or her) in your life.

And have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.