What Can Dogs Eat on Thanksgiving? Safe & Unsafe Foods Explained

Posted by Ryan Tanner on November 24, 2025

HOLIDAY DOG SAFETY

Can Dogs Eat Thanksgiving Turkey? Safe Holiday Foods & What to Avoid

Thanksgiving is full of tempting smells, dropped scraps, and begging puppy eyes. Learn which holiday foods dogs can safely enjoy, which ones to avoid, and how to include your pup without risking an upset stomach.

Turkey Safety No Bones Dog-Safe Treats

The holiday season is full of food, family, and celebration — and if you are a dog lover, it is only natural to want your pup included in the fun.

But Thanksgiving can also be risky for dogs. Rich foods, bones, desserts, butter, onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, and dropped scraps can quickly turn a happy holiday into an upset stomach or emergency vet visit.

So, can dogs eat Thanksgiving turkey? Yes — if it is plain, fully cooked, boneless, skinless, and served in a small amount. The safest plan is to keep your dog’s normal food routine in place, skip risky table scraps, and offer dog-safe treats instead. For more everyday nutrition guidance, read our guide to the 6 basic nutritional requirements your dog needs.

Holiday rule: plain, simple, and small is safest. If the food has bones, skin, butter, seasoning, sauce, onion, garlic, sugar, or xylitol, keep it away from your dog.

Can Dogs Eat Thanksgiving Turkey?

Yes, dogs can eat turkey, but only when it is prepared safely. Plain, cooked turkey meat can be okay for many dogs in small amounts. The turkey should be boneless, skinless, and free from seasoning, gravy, butter, onions, garlic, and sauces.

Turkey bones are dangerous because cooked poultry bones can splinter. These sharp pieces may injure your dog’s mouth, throat, stomach, or intestines. Turkey skin is also best avoided because it is fatty and often seasoned, which can trigger digestive upset in sensitive dogs.

Safe Turkey

Plain Meat Only

Small pieces of plain, cooked, boneless, skinless turkey are the safest way to share.

Avoid

Bones, Skin, Gravy

Bones can splinter, skin is fatty, and gravy often contains ingredients dogs should not eat.

Thanksgiving Day Foods Dogs Can Safely Eat

Some Thanksgiving ingredients can be dog-friendly when they are plain and served in small amounts. The key is to avoid butter, sugar, salt, seasoning, sauces, casseroles, and mixed dishes.

Food	Safe Version	Avoid Version
Turkey	Plain, cooked, boneless, skinless meat.	Bones, skin, gravy, seasoning, stuffing.
Green beans	Plain cooked or steamed green beans.	Green bean casserole, onions, butter, cream sauce.
Pumpkin	Plain pumpkin, no sugar or spices.	Pumpkin pie filling, pie, whipped cream.
Sweet potatoes	Plain cooked sweet potato.	Candied yams, marshmallows, butter, brown sugar.
Apples	Small plain slices with seeds/core removed.	Apple pie, sugary fillings, nutmeg-heavy desserts.

Portion tip: even safe foods can cause upset stomach if your dog eats too much or is not used to them. Offer small bites only.

Brutus and Barnaby sweet potato dog treats

Holiday-Friendly Treat

Sweet Potato Slices

A simple dog-friendly way to give your pup a sweet potato treat without butter, sugar, marshmallows, or table scraps.

Simple everyday snack
Great Thanksgiving alternative
Easy way to avoid table scraps

Shop Sweet Potato Treats

Thanksgiving Foods You Shouldn’t Feed Your Dog

While a few plain ingredients can be safe, the general rule is still this: do not feed your dog Thanksgiving table scraps. Holiday dishes are usually too rich, fatty, salty, sugary, or heavily seasoned for dogs.

Avoid	Why It’s Risky	Better Choice
Turkey bones and skin	Bones can splinter; skin is fatty and often seasoned.	Small plain turkey pieces only.
Onions and garlic	Can damage red blood cells and are often hidden in stuffing, gravy, and casseroles.	Plain dog-safe foods only.
Grapes, raisins, currants	Can cause serious kidney injury in some dogs.	Apple slices with seeds/core removed.
Chocolate and xylitol sweets	Chocolate and xylitol can be toxic to dogs.	Dog treats made for dogs.
Stuffing, casseroles, mashed potatoes, ham, bacon	Often high in fat, salt, butter, dairy, seasoning, or hidden toxic ingredients.	Keep your dog on their normal meal and offer a dog-safe treat.

Call your vet urgently if your dog eats bones, xylitol, grapes, raisins, chocolate, large amounts of fatty food, or shows vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, bloating, pain, collapse, or unusual behavior.

Why Fatty Thanksgiving Foods Are a Problem

Ham, bacon, buttery mashed potatoes, casseroles, gravy, and turkey skin may seem like small treats, but they can be too rich for dogs. Fatty foods can cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and in some cases may contribute to pancreatitis risk, especially in sensitive dogs.

It is much easier to prevent the problem than to deal with a sick dog after dinner. Tell guests not to feed your dog from the table, keep plates out of reach, and have dog-safe treats ready before the meal starts.

Brutus and Barnaby training treats for dogs

Table-Scrap Alternative

Peanut Butter & Honey Training Treats

Small training treats make it easier to reward your dog during a busy holiday without giving them fatty scraps from the table.

Great for quick rewards
Easy to portion
Helpful for holiday manners

Shop Training Treats

How to Include Your Dog in Thanksgiving Safely

Your dog does not need a full Thanksgiving plate to feel included. A little planning can make the day safer, calmer, and more enjoyable for everyone.

Feed their normal meal first. A full dog is less likely to beg or steal scraps.

Create a dog-safe treat bowl. Use approved treats so guests are not tempted to feed table scraps.

Keep trash secure. Bones, foil, strings, wrappers, and leftovers can all become dangerous.

Give them enrichment. A safe chew or treat can keep your dog busy while people eat.

Holiday Chew Time

Cow Ears for Dogs

A rawhide-free chew option that can help keep your dog busy during supervised holiday downtime.

Rawhide-free chew
Crunchy texture dogs love
Great for supervised enrichment

Shop Cow Ears

Frequently Asked Questions

QCan dogs eat Thanksgiving turkey?

Yes, many dogs can have small amounts of plain, cooked, boneless, skinless turkey. Do not give turkey bones, skin, gravy, stuffing, seasoning, or fatty pieces.

QCan dogs eat Thanksgiving stuffing?

No. Stuffing often contains onions, garlic, butter, seasonings, and other ingredients that are not safe or healthy for dogs.

QCan dogs eat sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving?

Plain cooked sweet potato can be okay for many dogs in small amounts. Avoid candied yams, marshmallows, butter, brown sugar, salt, and spices.

QWhat Thanksgiving foods are toxic to dogs?

Foods with onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, xylitol, alcohol, and cooked bones are especially important to keep away from dogs.

QWhat should I do if my dog eats Thanksgiving scraps?

If your dog ate something toxic, fatty, bony, or unknown, call your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital. Save ingredient labels or photos of the food if possible.

Final Takeaway

Dogs can enjoy a small taste of Thanksgiving when the food is plain, simple, and safe. Plain turkey meat, green beans, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, peas, and apple slices may be okay for many dogs when served without seasoning, sugar, butter, bones, or sauces.

The safest holiday plan is to keep your dog’s regular routine, skip table scraps, secure the trash, tell guests not to feed your dog, and offer dog-safe treats or chews so your pup feels included without the risk.

Give Your Dog a Safe Thanksgiving Treat

Skip risky table scraps and choose treats made for dogs to enjoy during the holiday season.

Shop Dog Treats & Chews

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Important Notice

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary, medical, toxicology, emergency, nutritional, diet, or product-use advice. Always consult your veterinarian before feeding your dog holiday foods, changing your dog’s diet, introducing new treats or chews, or if your dog has allergies, digestive issues, pancreatitis risk, kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, dental disease, or any diagnosed medical condition. If your dog eats bones, xylitol, chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, alcohol, large amounts of fatty food, or anything unknown, contact your veterinarian, emergency animal hospital, or pet poison control immediately. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed by a veterinary professional. Brutus & Barnaby products and educational content are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Always supervise your dog with any chew or treat, choose the right size and texture for your dog, introduce new items gradually, and provide fresh water.