Dogs can safely enjoy a few simple, plain Thanksgiving foods in small amounts, but many traditional dishes are unsafe. Always introduce new foods slowly and call a vet if your dog shows vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy after eating holiday food.
Safe Thanksgiving foods
Serve these plain, without butter, oil, salt, sugar, spices, onions, or garlic:
- Turkey breast meat, fully cooked, with no skin, fat, bones, or seasoning; just a few small bites as lean protein.
- Plain sweet potatoes or regular potatoes that are baked/boiled and not mixed with cream, butter, cheese, marshmallows, or gravy.
- Plain green beans or peas, fresh, frozen, or steamed, with no sauces or casseroles.
- Plain pumpkin (cooked or canned) that is 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling or spiced mix.
- Small pieces of apple with the core and seeds removed.
- Small amounts of plain cooked carrots or squash with no seasoning.
Keep portions small (treat-sized) so you do not upset your dog’s stomach.
Foods to avoid
Do not give your dog these common Thanksgiving items:
- Turkey skin, bones, gravy, or heavily seasoned meat.
- Stuffing, casseroles, or mashed/creamed potatoes, which often contain butter, cream, onions, garlic, salt, or fatty ingredients.
- Pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, cookies, chocolate, candy, or anything sugar‑free that might contain xylitol.
- Grapes, raisins, onions, scallions, garlic, alcohol, raw yeast dough, and very fatty or spicy foods.
Quick safe plate idea
A simple “dog Thanksgiving plate” can be:
- A small spoonful of plain shredded turkey breast.
- A few bites of unseasoned cooked sweet potato.
- A few plain green beans and one or two small slices of seedless apple.
If your dog has pancreatitis, food allergies, or other health problems, ask your vet before sharing any Thanksgiving food.
