🐾 The “Dog-Safe” Thanksgiving Plate
If you want to make your dog a special plate, a good rule of thumb is to set aside small portions of these foods before you add any butter, salt, sugar, or seasonings.
- Turkey: A small amount of unseasoned, skinless, boneless white meat is a wonderful treat.
- Giblets: The heart and gizzard are great treats, but they are safest when cooked plain. The safest way to prepare them is to boil them in water for 10-20 minutes until cooked through. Once cool, chop them into bite-sized pieces. (Avoid the neck, as its bones are a hazard, even when raw).
- Pumpkin: Plain, cooked pumpkin (or canned pumpkin, not pie filling) is excellent for a dog’s digestion.
- Sweet Potato: Plain, cooked, and mashed sweet potatoes are a safe and tasty treat. Avoid any with butter, sugar, or marshmallows.
- Green Beans: Plain, cooked (or even raw) green beans are a perfectly safe, low-calorie snack.
- Carrots: Raw or plain cooked carrots are a great, crunchy treat.
- Apples: Slices of apple are a good snack, but be sure to remove the core and all seeds, as seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide.
- Mashed Potatoes: A small spoonful of plain, boiled, and mashed potatoes is okay. However, most Thanksgiving mashed potatoes—with butter, cream, salt, garlic, or onions—are a definite “no.”
🚫 The “Do Not Share” List
This list contains foods that are either toxic or can cause severe stomach upset, including a dangerous condition called pancreatitis.
Always Toxic (Keep Out of Reach)
- Onions, Garlic, Leeks, and Chives: These are all part of the allium family and are toxic to dogs. They can cause damage to your dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. This is the primary reason stuffing and many gravies are so dangerous.
- Grapes and Raisins: These are highly toxic and can cause sudden kidney failure.
- Chocolate: A well-known toxin, especially dark and baking chocolate.
- Alcohol: Even small amounts can be life-threatening.
- Xylitol: This artificial sweetener is extremely toxic to dogs. It is often found in “sugar-free” baked goods, peanut butter, and some candies. Always check the label.
- Coffee & Caffeine: Can cause hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, and seizures.
- Raw Yeast Dough: The raw dough can expand in your dog’s warm stomach, causing severe pain and bloating. It also ferments, producing alcohol.
Unsafe in Holiday Form
- Turkey Bones (Cooked or Raw): You are absolutely right. Cooked bones become brittle and can splinter, causing choking or internal punctures. Raw bones also pose a splintering risk and can carry bacteria like salmonella.
- Turkey Skin, Fat & Drippings: These high-fat foods are not easily digested by dogs and are a common cause of pancreatitis, a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas.
- Stuffing: As mentioned, this is a dangerous dish, almost always containing onions, garlic, and high-fat ingredients.
- Gravy: This is typically too rich, fatty, and salty for your dog.
- Cranberry Sauce: While plain cranberries are safe, the canned sauce is loaded with sugar, which can cause stomach upset. Some recipes even include grapes or raisins.
- Pumpkin Pie & Desserts: These are full of sugar, fats, and dangerous spices. Nutmeg, in particular, can be toxic in large doses, and many desserts may contain xylitol or chocolate.
A Quick Note on Herbs
You may be wondering about herbs like sage or rosemary, which are common in stuffing.
- Sage: According to the ASPCA, culinary sage is non-toxic to dogs in small amounts. The danger comes because it is almost always in stuffing, which contains toxic onions, garlic, and fat.
- Rosemary: This is also generally safe in small amounts, but it can be a problem for dogs with pre-existing seizure disorders.
Given the risks, the safest bet is to follow your rule: if it has sugars or seasonings, don’t share it.
While it pays to be thoughtful about what you share, there are plenty of ways to share a safe Thanksgiving meal with your dog. Use this information to prepare a healthy plate for your dog. For dogs boarding with us over the holiday, we offer a Thanksgiving wet food add-on so they can enjoy a treat!
