What foods are safe or not safe for a dog? For many, the highlight of this holiday is Thanksgiving dinner and all the tasty food. Although Thanksgiving is a time of bountiful sharing, there are many holiday treats that you do not want to share with your dog.
Unfortunately, many of our favorite side dishes and meals lead to digestive upset for our dogs, or may even be toxic. There are, however, some plain versions of holiday foods that are dog-safe. Here’s a roundup of the dos and don’ts of sharing Thanksgiving food with your dog.
Thanksgiving Dinner To Share With Your Dog
Turkey – Plain unseasoned turkey is safe for dogs to eat. However, the turkey that most of us love on Thanksgiving is heavily seasoned with butter, herbs, and spices which is both too rich for our dogs and contains ingredients that are toxic. If you want to share some turkey with your dog, keep some unseasoned turkey meat aside just for your pup.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a healthy treat for your dog! Unfortunately, the way that most of us prepare them for Thanksgiving involving butter, garlic, and other spices makes them unsafe for dogs. If you want to share sweet potatoes with your dog, make them their own plain sweet potato dish.
Mashed Potatoes
It is ok to share mashed potatoes with your dog so long as you give them only plain potatoes. Pull out some of the mashed potatoes before adding in butter, garlic, sour cream, and other spices. The additives make mashed potatoes unsafe for dogs, but a little bit of plain potato without anything mixed in is ok for dogs.
Green Beans
Plain green beans can be a healthy snack to share with your dog on Thanksgiving. However, make sure the green beans don’t include butter or any other seasoning. Butter and spices which are often added to Thanksgiving side dishes make them unsafe for dogs. Instead, you can share plain green beans with your dog.
What Not To Share With Your Dog
Turkey Bones
Keep all turkey bones away from your dog. These are not safe bones for your dog to chew and these soft bones can easily splinter. Ingested turkey bones can cause an obstruction, or even a puncture in your dog’s stomach or intestines. If your dog does ingest a turkey bone, be sure to call your bet.
Cranberry Sauce
Love it or hate it, cranberry sauce is high in sugar which can be harmful to your dog. Canned cranberry sauce can also contain artificial sweeteners which could even be toxic to dogs. Although it’s a Thanksgiving dinner classic, your four-legged friends should skip it.
Ham
If your Thanksgiving menu includes ham make sure not to share any of it with your dog. Ham is high in salt and the way it is seasoned is too rich which can lead to upset stomachs or even pancreatitis.
Stuffing
This popular side dish is especially problematic for dogs because of the ingredients that are used to give it the classic thanksgiving flavor. Stuffing usually contains ingredients like garlic and onions which are highly toxic to dogs.
Chocolate
Deserts in general are best not to share with your dog this Thanksgiving. Any dessert that includes chocolate should be kept out of reach because chocolate is toxic to dogs.
Fruit Salad
If you’re going to have fruit salads this Thanksgiving, be sure to keep them away from your dog. Although some fresh fruits like apples are safe to share with dogs, most fruit salads contain grapes that are toxic to dogs.
Raisins
Raisins are toxic to dogs and unfortunately are frequently a hidden ingredient in a variety of holiday dishes. Keep an eye out for raisins in salads and desserts. If you’re using raisins in any recipes, be extra careful to keep those dishes away from your dog.
Alcohol
Although you and adult family members might have alcoholic beverages at Thanksgiving it’s important not to share these drinks with your dog. Alcohol is toxic to dogs, and they should not drink it. Make sure your Thanksgiving guests keep an eye on their drinks and don’t leave them at levels your dog can reach.
Bread/Bread Dough
Fresh-baked bread and rolls are common treats on Thanksgiving but they are harmful to dogs. If dogs eat bread dough, the dough can continue to rise as it’s ingested. This can be toxic to dogs.
Chips & Dip
If you’re entertaining, keep your dog out of the chip bowl. Chips are high in salt which can be harmful to dogs. If your dog eats too many chips it could even lead to sodium ion poisoning. In addition, a lot of chip dips have ingredients like onions and garlic that can be harmful or toxic to our dogs.
If you’re ever uncertain about if a food is safe to share with your dog the ASPCA Poison Control is a resource. In general, it’s best to avoid giving your dog treats from the table for their safety. If you’re going to be entertaining friends or family on Thanksgiving, ask them not to share treats off their plates with your dog. Additionally if your dog begs for table scraps or you don’t trust friends not to sneak food to your dog, keep your dog in another area for Thanksgiving dinner.
