What Can Dogs Eat on Thanksgiving? Safe and Dangerous Foods
Reading Time:
- What Can Dogs Eat on Thanksgiving?
- Thanksgiving Foods Dogs Can and Can’t Eat
- Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Safe for Dogs?
- How Much Thanksgiving Food Can My Dog Have?
- Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Dangerous for Dogs?
- Can Dogs Eat Ham on Thanksgiving?
- How to Make Your Dog Their Own Thanksgiving Plate
- What Are the Signs My Dog Ate Something Bad?
- What to Do If Your Dog Gets Into the Thanksgiving Leftovers
- How to Keep Your Dog Safe When the House Is Full
- A Happy, Safe Thanksgiving for the Whole Family
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Those big, hopeful eyes under the table are hard to resist on Thanksgiving. And the good news is you don't always have to. A few holiday foods are perfectly fine for dogs, as long as they're plain and shared in small amounts.
The tricky part is that the things that make our Thanksgiving food taste so good (butter, gravy, onions, garlic, and sugar) are often the same things that upset a dog's stomach, or worse.
Here's what's safe to share, what to keep on the table, and what to do if your pup helps themselves to the leftovers.
What Can Dogs Eat on Thanksgiving?
Dogs can have small amounts of plain, unseasoned Thanksgiving foods:
- Boneless, skinless turkey breast,
- Plain cooked sweet potato or potato,
- Green beans,
- Carrots,
- Plain pumpkin, and
- Apple slices without the core.
Keep them away from turkey bones, turkey skin and gravy, stuffing, ham, grapes and raisins, chocolate, anything sugar-free, and raw bread dough.
Thanksgiving Foods Dogs Can and Can’t Eat
| Food | Okay for dogs? | How to share it, or why not |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey breast | ⚠️ Yes, in small bites | Cooked, boneless, skinless, and unseasoned |
| Sweet potato or potato | ✅ Yes | Cooked and plain, with no butter, milk, or seasoning |
| Green beans | ✅ Yes | Plain, not from the casserole |
| Carrots | ✅ Yes | Plain, cut into bite-size pieces |
| Pumpkin | ✅ Yes | 100% pumpkin purée, not pie filling |
| Apples | ✅ Yes | Sliced, with the core and seeds removed |
| Turkey bones | ❌ No | Cooked bones can splinter and injure the gut |
| Turkey skin, drippings, gravy | ❌ No | Too fatty; can trigger pancreatitis |
| Stuffing | ❌ No | Usually contains onion, garlic, or raisins |
| Mashed potatoes | ❌ No | Butter, milk, and often onion or garlic |
| Ham | ❌ No | Fatty and salty |
| Grapes and raisins | ❌ No | Can cause kidney failure |
| Chocolate and coffee desserts | ❌ No | Toxic to dogs |
| Sugar-free pies or desserts | ❌ No | May contain xylitol, which is dangerous to dogs |
| Raw bread dough | ❌ No | Can expand in the stomach |
| Macadamia nuts | ❌ No | Can cause weakness, tremors, and fever |
| Alcohol | ❌ No | Dogs are very sensitive to it |
| Corn on the cob | ❌ No | The cob can cause a blockage |
Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Safe for Dogs?
“Safe” really means plain. Once a food has been buttered, salted, sauced, or cooked with onion or garlic, it moves to the “no” list.
- Turkey: A few bites of cooked white meat with no skin, bones, or seasoning make a lovely treat. The skin and drippings are where the fat lives, so leave those off. We tell you more in our guide on whether dogs can eat turkey.
- Sweet potatoes and potatoes: Set aside a little before the butter and marshmallows go on. Cooked and plain is best. See can dogs eat sweet potatoes for more information.
- Green beans: A crunchy, low-calorie favorite for a lot of dogs, as long as they're not from the casserole. See can dogs eat green beans to learn more.
- Carrots: Plain cooked or raw carrots are fine. Cut them small for little dogs. See can dogs eat carrots for more info.
- Pumpkin: A spoonful of plain canned pumpkin is a dog-friendly classic. Pie filling is a different story because it's sweetened and spiced. More in our guide covering pumpkin for dogs.
- Apples: Slice them and take out the core and seeds first. See if can dogs eat apples.
How Much Thanksgiving Food Can My Dog Have?
Your dog can have less Thanksgiving food than you’d think. Veterinary nutrition guidelines say treats and extras should make up less than 10% of your dog's daily calories, and that includes table food.
A good rule of thumb for the holiday is about a spoonful of each safe food, not a full plate. Here are a few tips:
- Go easy on dogs with sensitive tummies. If your dog has had pancreatitis before, it's kindest to skip the table food entirely this year.
- Trim their regular dinner a little on days they get extras.
- Don't let everyone sneak them a bite. Five guests sharing "just one" piece adds up fast.
Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Dangerous for Dogs?
Emergency vets see the same Thanksgiving mishaps year after year.
One emergency vet tech shared this on Reddit before the holiday:
💬 “I have seen every single one of the things discussed within the article come through the Emergency hospital during the holidays.”
Here’s what to keep out of reach.
Turkey Bones
Cooked poultry bones can splinter and damage your dog's mouth, throat, or intestines. The carcass in the trash is just as risky as a bone from the table.
💬 One Reddit user's family learned that the hard way after a dog got into the discarded turkey: "$3.5k and a few weeks of my uncle nursing him back to health." Their fix was simple: "Everyone in my family now moves their trash out front Wednesday night.”
Turkey Skin, Drippings, and Gravy
This one surprises people. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, eating turkey or turkey skin, sometimes even a small amount, can cause pancreatitis, a painful and potentially serious inflammation of the pancreas.
Gravy and pan drippings are basically concentrated fat, so they carry the same risk.
Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Casseroles
These are the sneaky ones. They often contain onions, garlic, shallots, or chives, which can damage a dog's red blood cells whether they're raw, cooked, or powdered.
Many also have butter, cream, or cheese that can upset the stomach. Some stuffing recipes even include raisins. You can learn more in our guide about onions and dogs
Grapes, Raisins, and Currants
Grapes and raisins can cause sudden kidney failure in dogs.
Toxicologists at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center have linked this to tartaric acid, and because the amount varies by grape type, growing conditions, and ripeness, there's no amount we can call safe.
Watch for them in salads, stuffing, fruitcake, and cookies. We explain this in more detail in our guide to grapes and dogs.
Chocolate and Coffee Desserts
Chocolate and caffeine are toxic to dogs, and the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.
Baking chocolate and dark chocolate are the biggest worries. To learn more, check out our guide covering chocolate and pets.
Sugar-Free Pies and Desserts (Xylitol)
Xylitol is a sugar substitute found in some sugar-free desserts, baking blends, gum, and even certain peanut butters.
In dogs, it can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar within 30 to 60 minutes, and larger amounts can harm the liver.
If a guest brings a sugar-free pie, keep it well out of reach and check labels on anything you share.
Nuts
Macadamia nuts are the ones to worry about most. They can cause weakness (often in the back legs), vomiting, tremors, and fever within about 12 hours.
Most dogs recover, but it's frightening to see. Other nuts like pecans and walnuts are high in fat and can be a choking hazard, and moldy nuts can carry toxins, so it's best to skip nuts altogether.
Raw Bread Dough
Raw yeast dough can rise inside a dog's warm stomach, causing painful gas and dangerous bloating.
As it ferments, it can also produce alcohol. Keep rising rolls well away from curious noses.
Alcohol, Corn Cobs, and Kitchen Leftovers
Dogs are much more sensitive to alcohol than people, so keep drinks off low tables.
Corn cobs can get stuck in the intestines. And don't forget the turkey string, foil, and packaging, which smell like dinner and can cause blockages if swallowed.
Can Dogs Eat Ham on Thanksgiving?
It’s best not to give your dog ham on Thanksgiving. Ham is high in fat and salt, and glazes often add sugar and spices.
Even a few slices can lead to an upset stomach, and the fat can trigger pancreatitis in some dogs. If you'd like to share some protein, plain turkey breast is a much gentler choice.
How to Make Your Dog Their Own Thanksgiving Plate
If you’d love your dog to be included, give them a little plate of their own.
The AVMA suggests making or buying a treat made just for them rather than sharing from your plate.
A simple, dog-friendly plate might look like this:
- A few bites of plain, boneless, skinless turkey breast
- A spoonful of plain cooked sweet potato
- A few plain green beans
- A small dollop of plain pumpkin purée
Serve it in their own bowl at their usual mealtime, and trim their regular food a little to make room.
📌 Like one Reddit user put it, stick to small pieces of white meat and save some of that canned pumpkin you’re using for pie.
What Are the Signs My Dog Ate Something Bad?
According to the AVMA, signs your pet may be in trouble include sudden changes in behavior, depression, pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Timing depends on what they ate, so keep an eye on them for a few days, not just a few hours.
| What they ate | When signs may show up | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Xylitol (sugar-free foods) | Often within 30 to 60 minutes | Weakness, wobbliness, collapse, seizures |
| Macadamia nuts | Within about 12 hours | Back-leg weakness, vomiting, tremors, fever |
| Chocolate | Within several hours | Vomiting, restlessness, racing heart, tremors |
| Fatty foods (skin, gravy, ham) | Hours to a day or two | Vomiting, belly pain, hunching, not eating |
| Grapes or raisins | Vomiting within hours; kidney signs can take a day or more | Vomiting, lethargy, drinking or peeing less |
| Bones, cobs, string | Can take days | Straining, vomiting, not eating, dark or bloody stool |
What to Do If Your Dog Gets Into the Thanksgiving Leftovers
Don’t stress if your dog invited themself to the Thanksgiving table. It happens in the most loving homes, especially on busy holidays. Here’s what to do:
- Move your dog away from the food and pick up anything left over.
- Figure out what, how much, and when. Keep any packaging or recipe ingredients handy.
- Call your vet or an animal poison control line right away, even if your dog seems fine. You can reach the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661. Both are available 24/7, and a consultation fee may apply.
- Don't make your dog vomit unless you're told to. Vomiting can do more harm than good in some cases, especially if your dog swallowed something sharp like a bone, is already vomiting, or is having trouble breathing.
- Follow up with your vet, even if things seem to settle down.
If you’re unsure, call an emergency vet hospital and see what they think. That’s always the right first move.
If your vet or poison control does tell you to induce vomiting at home, they'll usually recommend fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide at a dose based on your dog's weight.
📌 Our STAT! Syringe is marked by weight to make that dose easier to measure in a stressful moment. It's meant only for when a professional has given you the go-ahead, and never for cats. You can read more in our guide on when and how to induce vomiting in dogs.
How to Keep Your Dog Safe When the House Is Full
Holidays are a lot for dogs too: new people, new smells, and food everywhere. A few small steps make a big difference:
- Tell your guests to not feed the dog, no matter how cutely they beg.
- Give your dog a quiet space away from the commotion, like a bedroom or crate with a favorite toy. The AVMA recommends this for pets who get stressed by visitors.
- Clear the counters. Dogs are clever and quick; they’ll reach the counter and grab a chunk you haven’t sorted yet.
- Take the trash out right away and put it somewhere your dog can’t reach, with a secure lid.
- Plan ahead for nervous pups. If big gatherings make your dog anxious, talk to your vet before the holiday. Some pet parents also like calming chews to help a relaxed mood on busy days.
📌 The same vet tech from earlier put it best: “I don’t want myself or my colleagues to have your dog spending Thanksgiving with us. They should definitely be with you!”
A Happy, Safe Thanksgiving for the Whole Family
Your dog doesn't need a feast to feel loved on Thanksgiving. A few plain bites in their own bowl, a quiet place to rest, and a secure trash can go a long way. And if something does go wrong, a quick call to your vet or poison control is the best gift you can give them.
If you'd like to be ready for the unexpected, a stocked dog first aid kit with your vet's number, the poison control numbers, and a STAT! Syringe can bring peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is turkey okay for dogs to eat every day?
Plain, cooked turkey breast can be part of a dog's diet, but it shouldn't replace their regular food. Complete dog food has the balance of nutrients they need.
As a treat, keep turkey to less than 10% of their daily calories, and always skip the skin, bones, and seasoning.
What meats should dogs avoid?
There's no official list, but on Thanksgiving, the ones to skip are ham and other fatty, salty pork, turkey skin and drippings, and anything with cooked bones.
Processed meats like sausage and bacon are best avoided too, since they're high in fat and salt.
Can dogs eat mashed potatoes?
Plain, cooked potato is fine in small amounts. Mashed potatoes usually aren't, because they're made with butter, milk, salt, and sometimes onion or garlic.
Can dogs eat cranberry sauce?
A few plain cranberries are generally okay, but cranberry sauce is usually full of sugar, and some relish recipes add raisins or other fruits. It's best to skip the sauce.
Can dogs eat pumpkin pie?
No. Pumpkin pie is sweetened and spiced, and sugar-free versions may contain xylitol. Plain canned pumpkin is the dog-friendly alternative.
My dog ate a turkey bone. What should I do?
Call your vet or an emergency vet right away, even if your dog seems fine. Don't try to make them vomit, because a sharp bone can cause more damage coming back up.
Your vet may ask you to watch for vomiting, straining, not eating, or dark or bloody stool over the next few days.
Is it okay to give my dog a little gravy?
It's better not to. Gravy is high in fat, which can trigger pancreatitis, and it often contains onion or garlic.
