Thanksgiving Foods You Can Share With Your Dog (and what to avoid)
November 11, 2022There are a lot of healthy & nutritious Thanksgiving foods you can share with your dog. There are also some foods you should absolutely avoid feeding your pet. Browse this quick guide & treat your dog to a safe & delicious feast this Thanksgiving!
For many, the holiday season officially kicks off on Thanksgiving. It’s a time of gratitude, spending time with loved ones, and of course, eating all the food! If your family includes dogs there’s a 100% chance that they’ll want to be right there with you for all the festivities, especially while prepping food for your holiday feast! If you have a cute little pup at your feet while you’re chopping, mixing, and sauteing, it can be incredibly tempting to drop a few morsels in their direction. But before you start sharing your holiday meal with your pup, let’s make sure what you’re giving them is safe.
The great news for dog moms and dads is that there are a lot of the ingredients that make their way into many traditional Thanksgiving dinner recipes that are healthy and nutritious for dogs! But there are also some foods that you should avoid sharing with your four-legged family members. To help you determine what’s safe and what to stay away from, we’ve created a quick reference guide of the best Thanksgiving foods to share with your dog as well as a list of what to avoid.
Thanksgiving Foods You Can Share With Your Dog
- Boneless Turkey & Chicken
- Plain Green Beans & Carrots
- Cooked Butternut Squash
- Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
- Canned Pumpkin
- Baked Bread
- Apple Slices
Foods You Shouldn’t Share With Your Pet on Thanksgiving (or any time)
- Turkey Bones – not digestible & can be a choking hazard
- Raw Dough – can cause severe stomach problems
- Anything with Onions & Garlic – toxic to dogs
- Chocolate – toxic to dogs
- Ham – can cause stomach problems
- Anything with added sugars, cream, & butter – can cause stomach problems
- Artificial Sweeteners like Xylitol – highly toxic to dogs
- Raisins & Currants – toxic to dogs
Always Know Where Your Dog Is
Holidays bring a lot of new guests into the house, doors opening & closing, and tempting scents. With all the activity happening in your home, it can be easy for a pet to sneak outdoors, get into something they shouldn’t, or simply become overwhelmed. Many dogs love being around all the activity and won’t have any issues at all with the change in routine. But it’s still important to keep an eye on your pup and have an idea of their whereabouts at all times just to make sure they are staying safe and happy.
Take Out The Trash
Keep the lid closed tight on your trash can & remove the trash from your home or keep it out of your pet’s reach as soon as possible. We all know how curious dogs can be, and with all those delicious scents wafting their way it can be way too tempting to dig through the trash, even for the most well trained dog.
Have a Plan In Case of Emergencies
If your dog does manage to get into something that they shouldn’t, seek help right away by calling a pet poison helpline or a local emergency animal clinic. Prior to Thanksgiving, find out which emergency vets will be open in your area and have their information saved in your phone just in case. We also recommend saving the number to The Pet Poison Helpline and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in your phone. While we hope you never need to use it, you’ll be relieved to have this information easily accessible in the rare chance that you do need to reach out for help.
Thank you, from HealthySmiles Pet Dental 🙂
We couldn’t write a Thanksgiving blog post without saying a quick thank you to our wonderful clients & pet parents! We are so thankful to have you as part of our HealthySmiles family and wish you all a safe, happy, & fulfilling Thanksgiving!