Thanksgiving foods your dog can and can’t eat

Dogs are omnivorous like us, almost anything on a Thanksgiving table can be appetizing for your puppy. But a traditional turkey dinner includes things that can be harmful to dogs in large quantities. So if you are planning on treating your pet with leftovers, here’s what to know.

Turkey meat is good

Meat is a suitable food for dogs and includes both white and dark turkey meat. Be sure not to feed your puppy any leftover bones, however, cooked bones can easily break and be a hazard to their digestive tract.

Also avoid turkey skin. It is fatty and a large amount of fat in a meal or a single day can cause acute pancreatitis. Vets tend to see an increase in pancreatitis around the holidays for exactly this reason.

Onions and garlic should be banned

Onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks are considered dangerous for dogs because they can irritate dogs’ digestive systems and potentially cause anemia. A little onion or garlic in a food may not cause noticeable illness, but onions are one of those things we tend to overlook in foods. How many onions are there in the stuffing, for example? How much garlic is in the sauce? Better to avoid these foods completely.

Avoid sweets

Chocolate is toxic to dogs; you probably already knew that. Xylitol is a common sweetener, especially in sugar-free foods, and the American Kennel Club Notes sometimes it comes in canned pumpkin pie filling.

Sweet foods aren’t poisonous, but neither dogs nor humans should eat a ton of sugar at a time. Some dogs are lactose intolerant, so ice cream and other dairy desserts are probably not a good idea.

Plain potatoes and (some) vegetables are good

Besides the turkey meat, the other dog-healthy foods include plain potatoes, plain sweet potatoes, and other plain vegetables like peas. Again, avoid anything that is seasoned with onions or garlic, and anything that is full of butter, fat, or oil. So, a serving of mashed potatoes with garlic butter should be considered purely human food, but the baked potato would be nice.

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The dose makes the poison, as the saying goes, so a small amount is not a problem for most dangerous foods. Aa busy family dinner, it is possible that each person mistakenly thinks that they are the only one offering them a little treat.o if you are providing shelter, let it be known that the dog is only allowed to eat certain foods (or not at all). And if that’s not your dog, be aware that pets can have digestive or health issues you may not be familiar with, so always ask before giving a treat.