A few bites of plain, boneless turkey or plain vegetables are fine for most dogs and cats. The trouble at Thanksgiving comes from fatty scraps, cooked bones, dishes made with onion or garlic, raw bread dough and desserts, plus a busy house where the trash fills up and the door keeps opening.
What your pet can share
Set a small plate aside before anything is seasoned, buttered or covered in gravy. The ASPCA suggests a pet-friendly portion of plain turkey, sweet potato and green beans. Good options include:
- Turkey: plain, cooked, boneless and skinless meat
- Sweet potato or pumpkin: plain cooked, with no butter, sugar, marshmallows or spices
- Green beans and carrots: plain steamed or boiled
- Potato: a little plain boiled or mashed potato, before butter, milk or garlic go in
- Cranberries: a few plain berries, not the sauce
Keep portions small. Treats, human food included, should make up no more than about 10% of your pet’s daily calories. Serve them in your pet’s own bowl rather than from the table, which also keeps begging in check. Puzzle toys filled with part of your pet’s regular food can keep it busy during the meal.
Cooked bones
Cooked turkey bones are brittle and splinter into sharp pieces. They can injure the mouth, get stuck in the throat, or block the stomach or intestines, and blockages can need emergency surgery. Never give bones from the table, including the wishbone and drumstick.
If your dog swallows a bone, do not try to make it vomit, since sharp pieces can do more damage on the way back up. Call your vet and watch for gagging, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, a painful belly, straining to pass stool or blood in the stool.
Fatty food and pancreatitis
Turkey skin, pan drippings, gravy, buttery side dishes and fat trimmings are the scraps pets are most likely to be offered, and they are the richest. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists eating unusual or inappropriate food as a common risk factor for pancreatitis in dogs, and some breeds, such as Miniature Schnauzers, are affected more often.
Signs include loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, belly pain, dehydration and diarrhea. Milder cases may only look like a quiet dog that is off its food. Call your vet if you see these after a holiday meal. Dogs that have had pancreatitis before should not have rich scraps at all.
Onion, garlic and other seasonings
Stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole with fried onions, and garlic mashed potatoes are all likely to contain onion or garlic. These plants, along with leeks, chives and shallots, damage red blood cells in dogs and cats. Cooking does not make them safe, and dried or powdered forms are concentrated. Signs such as weakness and pale gums may not appear for several days, so tell your vet about any exposure even if your pet seems fine. Bouillon cubes and seasoning mixes are common hidden sources.
Raw bread dough and desserts
- Raw yeast dough is an emergency. The Merck Veterinary Manual explains that the warmth of the stomach makes the dough keep rising, stretching the stomach, while the yeast produces alcohol. Signs include a swollen belly, retching, wobbliness, confusion and weakness. Keep rising dough out of reach, and get to a vet quickly if your dog eats some.
- Chocolate desserts and baking chocolate are toxic to dogs and cats.
- Sugar-free pies and baked goods may contain xylitol, which is very dangerous for dogs.
- Pecan pie is rich and fatty, and pecans themselves are not a safe snack for dogs.
- Raisins hide in stuffing, breads and desserts and can cause kidney failure in dogs.
- Raw eggs and raw batter can carry bacteria such as Salmonella.
Trash, string and wrappers
The trash is often the most dangerous thing in the house after the meal. It holds the turkey carcass, bones, fat and scraps, along with items that smell like food: cooking twine, foil, roasting bags, the pop-up timer and plastic wrap. String is especially dangerous if swallowed, and cats are drawn to it. Tie off trash bags and take them outside to a bin with a secure lid throughout the day, and keep your pet out of the kitchen while you clear up.
Guests, doors and a quiet space
- Give your pet a quiet room with water, a bed and a toy, especially if it is shy, elderly or not used to crowds.
- Ask guests not to feed your pet, and explain why. Children often slip food under the table.
- Remind guests to keep bags and coats closed and out of reach. Medications, gum and snacks in handbags are a common source of poisoning.
- Watch the door. Pets can slip out as guests arrive and leave. Make sure your pet wears an ID tag with a current phone number and that its microchip details are up to date.
- Check decorations and flowers. Fall centerpieces sometimes include lilies, which can cause kidney failure in cats. See our plant safety guide before bringing arrangements home.
If something goes wrong
Call your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital right away. Note what your pet ate, roughly how much, and when, and bring any packaging or the recipe. Do not try to make your pet vomit unless a veterinarian tells you to. Holiday opening hours vary, so look up your nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital before the day. For more on which foods are safe and which are toxic, see our food safety guide and our pet first aid guide.
Sources
- ASPCA, Thanksgiving Safety Tips
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
- American Kennel Club, Can Dogs Eat Turkey? Holiday Safety Tips for Pet Owners
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Bread Dough Toxicosis in Animals
This guide is general information and not a substitute for veterinary advice.