Thanksgiving Foods Dogs Can—and Cannot—Eat

As a pet parent, you may want to include your dog in your holiday celebrations. Luckily, there are plenty of traditional Thanksgiving foods you can share with your furry companion—in moderation, of course.

Treats, including human foods, should never be more than 10% of your dog’s total caloric intake daily.

Here are the Thanksgiving foods dogs can eat.

Thanksgiving Foods Dogs Can Eat Safely

1. Turkey

Turkey meat is a great source of lean protein, and you can even serve your dog some—just make sure that you safely prepare it for your pup. Here’s how:

• Remove the turkey skin and fat from a piece of white meat.

• Keep it bland and unseasoned. Avoid salt; and don’t give your pup garlic, onion, or any powders used in mixed seasoning. This includes any sort of fresh or ground pepper.

• Boil it. This will keep the fat content low.

• Don’t give your furry baby anything spicy, such as tabasco sauce.

• Don’t serve turkey bones, which are dangerous to pups. Ingestion of bones—which often become splintered—can poke holes in a dog’s intestines. Make sure that your dog doesn’t have access to any pieces of meat that may have bone attached, or to the trash after Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey makes a great replacement for dog treats when served in small quantities, as this mild meat won’t cause any ill effects in most dogs. However, some dogs can be allergic to poultry—which includes turkey. If this is the case, don’t give your pup turkey as a treat.

Additionally, some pets are sensitive to fats, and even with the visible fat removed, turkey still has fat in the muscle. This can cause an upset stomach and pancreatitis.

Serve a small amount of turkey to your dog. For example, a 25-pound dog can have 40 grams of white meat turkey or 30 grams of dark meat turkey—not including the skin.

Alternatively, you can give your pup a taste of Thanksgiving dinner via turkey-flavored dog food, like Merrick® Turducken™ canned dog food or turkey-flavored treats, like American Journey® turkey jerky or Zuke's® Mini Naturals® turkey and pumpkin recipe dog treats.

2. Pumpkin

Pumpkin, when served appropriately, is fantastic for a dog’s digestive system. Veterinarians often recommend pure pumpkin for dogs as a way to either ease constipation or help firm up their stool.

However, pumpkin pie isn't a healthy food for your pup. Simple meals, like roasted pumpkin or pure canned pumpkin, are healthy and safe alternatives.

If you’re baking your own pumpkin pie, set aside some pumpkin for your dog—but before serving up this treat, make sure it’s 100% canned pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling.

Pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie filling contain spices that are toxic for your dog, such as nutmeg. Additionally, their sugar and fat content are potentially harmful and can cause an upset stomach and/or pancreatitis.

If you don’t plan to give your pup roasted or pure canned pumpkin, snacks like Grandma Lucy's® organic pumpkin dog treats can provide a taste of Thanksgiving for your dog.

3. Cranberry

Cranberries are safe for dogs and they may help support urinary tract health. They also contain lots of healthy antioxidants.

However, raw cranberries may be tough for dogs to digest or swallow. Give raw cranberries in moderation, and to avoid any potential choking hazard, cut up cranberries into smaller pieces.

Avoid cranberry sauce—the high sugar content or possible artificial sweetener it contains isn't good for dogs. Dried cranberries can be a replacement, but ensure that there aren’t any raisins in the mix, as they are toxic to dogs.

If you want to stick to non-human foods for your pup, you can offer them some fun alternatives, including: 

4. Green Beans

What’s a Thanksgiving meal without green bean casserole? While dogs cannot have the casserole, they can have raw, plain green beans.

Green beans are a low-calorie treat that’s high in iron and several other vitamins and minerals that dogs need.

Other benefits of green beans are that they’re a source of insoluble fiber, meaning they don’t dissolve in the gut. Green beans bulk up stool as it moves through the large intestine, promoting normal stool formation. They also give pups a feeling of being full, which makes it easier for them to remain satisfied while staying at a healthy weight.

You can serve your pup canned, frozen, or fresh green beans—but they must be unsalted and unseasoned.

If you want to incorporate green beans into your dog's regular diet, look for a nutritionally complete and balanced dog food like Purina® Beyond® turkey and green bean recipe.

5. Carrots

Carrots are a great source of vitamin A and fiber—they’re even found as an ingredient in many commercially available dog foods.

It’s safe to give your pup a raw baby carrot as a healthy treat two to three times per day, but cooked carrots are gentler on your dog’s stomach. You can boil or steam plain, fresh, or frozen carrots.

Canned carrots are also fine, as long as they aren’t packaged with a lot of salt or sugar.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a good source of B vitamins, vitamin A, and fiber, and they’re frequently featured in limited ingredient diets.

When serving your dog raw sweet potatoes, you can cook them and serve them in cubes; steam and mash them; or bake or boil this versatile veggie.

7. Apples

Many dogs love the sweet, tart crunch of apples. They’ve got plenty of fiber and antioxidants and they’re a healthy treat when given in moderation.

To safely serve apples to dogs, always cut out the core, as apple seeds contain cyanide and are poisonous to dogs.

Then, cut the apple into thin slices or small cubes

You can even find apple-flavored dog treats, like the popular Fruitables® pumpkin and apple flavor dog treats.

Thanksgiving Foods Bad for Dogs

While there are many human foods that dogs can eat on Thanksgiving, there are a few that they can’t, including:

• Candy: Candy, such as dark chocolate and those containing xylitol, can make your dog very ill and can even be fatal.

• Grapes or raisins: Grapes and raisins can be a choking hazard, and they also contain a substance that can be poisonous to some dogs and can cause kidney failure and even death. 

• Macadamia nuts: Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs and can cause vomiting, muscle weakness, tremors, a high temperature, and seizures.

• Wild mushrooms: Wild mushrooms can cause mushroom poisoning; signs include vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and liver and kidney failure. 

• Onions and garlic: Onions and garlic are both toxic to dogs and can cause vomiting and diarrhea, among other serious signs.

• Mashed potatoes: While potatoes are safe for dogs to eat, mashed potatoes are typically prepared with harmful ingredients such as garlic, onion powder, salt, butter, and cream.

• Stuffing: Stuffing often contains toxic ingredients such as onions, garlic, raisins, or grapes.

• Gravy: Gravy contains high amounts of fat and sodium, and may even contain toxic ingredients, like garlic and onion.

• Bread dough: Raw, yeast-based bread dough is dangerous to dogs and can cause bread dough toxicosis.

• Pitted fruits: Fruit pits are a choking hazard and can fracture dogs’ teeth, and they can also contain cyanide, which is toxic to dogs.

• Chocolate: Chocolate contains two harmful ingredients, theobromine and caffeine, that can lead to chocolate poisoning when ingested.

• Anything containing caffeine: Consumption of caffeine can lead to caffeine poisoning, and symptoms include vomiting, elevated heart rate, and seizures.

• Sugary desserts: If your dog eats sugary desserts or dishes such as sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, they can experience symptoms such as upset stomach and even toxicity if the dessert contains chocolate or xylitol.

• High-fat foods: If a dog eats too much fat, they can experience digestive upset, including vomiting, diarrhea, and bloating.

• Salty foods: Consuming too much salt could lead to symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy, and excessive thirst or urination.

• Alcohol: Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in dogs include vomiting, lack of coordination, excessive salivation, frequent urination, diarrhea, and more.

• Any product that contains xylitol: Xylitol can be found in sugar-free foods, medications, dental care products, and beauty products. If your dog ingests xylitol, you should immediately take them to a local veterinary emergency hospital for evaluation and treatment.

While it may be tempting to let your dog eat Thanksgiving dinner with you, you must be very careful when preparing their holiday meal.

By feeding your dog human foods for Thanksgiving, you run the risk of them getting sick—either by stomach upset or toxicity. It’s always a good idea to make sure your dog eats foods that are safe for them and not cooked in oil, grease, or with any seasonings.

If you’re concerned that your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have, call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline® at 855-764-7661 immediately.