pet-safe Thanksgiving foods (plus what to stay away from!)

Hooray! Holiday meal season is upon us. It’s time to stuff our faces with copious amounts of turkey, casseroles, and carbs. While your pet might enjoy these yummy foods, too, they are not appropriate for their diet and can even be toxic.

Below are our takes on pet-safe Thanksgiving food. 

What’s the best Thanksgiving dinner for you and your dog or cat? 

We’ll trust you to make semi-decent nutritional decisions for yourself. 

For your dog or cat, the best Thanksgiving dinner is — drumroll, please — their regular pet food! We know that’s not the exciting answer you were looking for, but it’s the truth. Sticking to their regular diet is the healthiest, safest thing you can do for them. To make it special, try a special bowl or plate for them to eat from.

What’s some Thanksgiving food you can feed your dog or cat?

In general, we don’t recommend feeding human food to your pet. Human food is usually too salty, greasy, or sugary for our pets. Plus, our pets tend to receive a nutritious balanced diet from their commercial pet food, and adding too much people food can cause health issues. 

If your pet does get into your holiday dinner, you should expect to see some diarrhea. And if they start vomiting, plan to take them to your vet to be checked for pancreatitis or other serious illness.

But for now, it’s time for rapid-fire Thanksgiving food dos and don’ts for dogs and cats.

Can dogs eat turkey? Can cats?

Turkey is not toxic for dogs or cats, and you can panic less if your pet manages to steal a bit that’s fully cooked and free of seasoning. But make sure to keep all bones far away from your pet— small bones can cause choking hazards or other internal blockages, and cut bones can splinter and cause gastrointestinal damage. 

Remember: Just because turkey is safe, it doesn’t mean your dog or cat should be eating any of it. 

Can dogs eat sweet potatoes? Can cats?

Sweet potatoes are not toxic for dogs or cats, but should only be eaten in moderation. Make sure sweet potatoes are cooked, free of seasoning, and cut up in super small pieces. If you add butter, sugar, or marshmallows to your sweet potatoes, keep them far away from your pet.

Can dogs eat green beans? Can cats? 

Both dogs and cats can eat green beans, but (unsurprisingly) they should only ever consume small amounts and are safest if cleaned and uncooked. 

Can dogs eat garlic and onions? Can cats?

Garlic and onions make a lot of Thanksgiving dishes taste GREAT, but these yummies are big no-no's for both dogs and cats! Eating garlic, onions, leeks, or chives can cause gastrointestinal issues or anemia (abnormally low blood count).  

Many holiday dishes contain garlic and/or onions, like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or green bean casserole. So before you or your guests drop a little treat for your pet, make sure everyone knows the consequences.    

Avoid these Thanksgiving foods and drinks as well

Chocolate 

When people think of Thanksgiving desserts, they usually think of apple, pecan, or pumpkin pie, but that doesn’t mean sneaky ol’ chocolate doesn’t also show up. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are both toxic for dogs and cats. Even the sugar in non-chocolate desserts is likely to cause diarrhea for your furball — and that’s not a great ending to an awesome holiday dinner.    

Alcohol 

This goes without saying, but don’t let your pet drink from your holiday beer, big glass of wine, nightcap, and so on. Alcohol can cause your dog’s or cat’s blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature to drop, which could make them feel ill. 

Other toxins to stay clear of:  

• Sugarless candy   
• Grapes and raisins   
• Caffeine   
• Yeasted dough (raw bread or pastry dough)     

Are there Thanksgiving treats you can share with your pets? 

We don’t recommend sharing your Thanksgiving table scraps with your pets. However, if you’d like to include your pet in the holiday feast, you can likely snag some turkey-flavored or Thanksgiving-themed treats from your local pet store. Just make sure not to overdo it — treats should only be a small amount of your furry friends’ caloric intake.  

For a vet-approved treat recipe (as well as info on feeding pumpkin to your pet!), check out this blog. 

Happy (and safe) eating, friends!     

Just remember, while most Thanksgiving food isn’t toxic for dogs or cats, feeding it to them isn’t a great idea. Your local veterinary emergency hospital will be ready to help out over the holidays, but we’d prefer that you don’t need to see them. So avoid people food to keep your pet healthier and buy them extra presents for the holidays instead! 

Make an appointment with your vet if you have any questions.