The holiday season is upon us and many families are making Thanksgiving Day plans. If you're a dog lover, you might want to include your pet in the festivities as well. According to The American Kennel Club, though, there's a huge increase in vet visits that coincide with Thanksgiving dinner.
What does that mean? Can dogs eat Thanksgiving turkey? Better yet, is there a Thanksgiving food for dogs that they can safely eat? Let's take a closer look at some Thanksgiving dog diet do's and don'ts.
Thanksgiving Day Foods That Your Dog Can Safely Eat
If you're wondering, "Can dogs eat Thanksgiving turkey?" the answer is, "Yes!" It's safe for dogs to eat turkey as long as there are no bones or skin. Like chicken bones, turkey bones have a tendency to splinter during chewing and digestion. These jagged pieces can cause serious problems for your dog's throat and digestive tract.
Beyond turkey, you may be shocked to find that your dog can safely eat other Thanksgiving Day foods too. In fact, many of these foods are ingredients in natural dog foods, such as:
- Green beans
- Pumpkin
- Sweet potatoes
- Apples
Additionally, it's safe to feed your dog peas. Just don't feed him/her creamed or canned peas. Canned peas are typically high in sodium, which is harmful to dogs and people in large amounts. Also, it's safe to feed your dog dinner rolls but only in small amounts.
Thanksgiving Day Foods That You Shouldn't Feed Your Dog
While there are some safe foods for your dog, the general rule of thumb is to not feed your dog people food. In fact, there's a much longer list of foods that you shouldn't feed your dog this Thanksgiving. We've already covered the dangers of turkey bones and skin, so let's get into some other foods that aren't healthy for your K-9 companion.
Stay away from giving your dog sweets, pies and cookies. This can cause digestive problems and obesity. Also, be especially careful not to feed him anything that contains xylitol because it's extremely toxic to dogs.
On the topic of sweets, most people are aware that chocolate is poisonous for dogs. It’s a little-known fact that the darker the chocolate, the more it contains the chemical theobromine, which dogs cannot metabolize and which can cause serious illness. So, avoid giving your pet anything that contains chocolate.
Other foods that you should avoid giving your dog this Thanksgiving include:
- Onions and Garlic - You should absolutely not give your dog onions or garlic because they contain a chemical called N-propyl disulfide, which can cause serious issues for your dog. So, avoid anything containing onion or garlic in it.
- Grapes or Raisins - While a favorite and healthy snack for people, grapes, raisins and currants can cause kidney failure in dogs. The cause of this is still unknown, but be very sure not to feed your pup anything containing grapes or raisins.
The rest of the items on our list are not poisonous, but should be avoided because they are too high in calories or they contain high amounts of fat and butter which can cause indigestion. This includes:
- Stuffing
- Casserole
- Mashed potatoes
- Ham and bacon
- Yeast dough
- Corn on the cob
- Foods that contain spices
According to research, feeding your dog too much food that's high in fat, such as ham and bacon, can cause pancreatitis. Even in small amounts, fatty foods can cause an upset stomach.
So, while we all love these delicious Thanksgiving dishes, it's best to avoid giving your dog human food, even if they give you the cutest begging puppy eyes.
All-Natural Brutus & Barnaby Dog Treats
If you're looking for healthy, natural treats for your dog to enjoy this Thanksgiving, Brutus & Barnaby has exactly what you need. We're committed to providing the finest, tastiest and healthiest dog treats on the market.
You don’t want your dog to have to sit in the corner with nothing, being told ‘no’ to most of the tasty Thanksgiving scraps your guests discard. Instead, plan ahead to include them in the feasting with a special treat they can enjoy without doing them harm. Our sweet potato sticks come in two delicious flavors your pup will love. Try Pumpkin and Cinnamon or Apple and Cinnamon, both smell amazing and are perfect flavors for this holiday season!