Read This Before Sharing Holiday Leftovers With Your Dog!

So you’ve got holiday leftovers from Thanksgiving, Xmas or some other special event.

For sure, finishing those off can be quite a chore. Is your dog a willing volunteer for such a salivating scenario?

Can I Give My Dog Thanksgiving LeftoversHere’s the deal:

You can selectively feed Fido those holiday leftovers.

But, the thing is, many of these wonderful foods complicate matters for dogs. Pets can get sick.

A condition called Bloat is most worrying.

We’ll breakdown what is safe and what’s not. Rest assured, your dog can help out. Just use good judgement and go easy!

Dogs Can Eat Certain Holiday Leftovers (in moderation)

The key is knowing which foods to withhold.

Is extra food sitting in your refrigerator right now?

This topic is debatable. As you probably know, many dog owners refuse to give table foods of any kind, even during holidays.

At the very least, share holiday leftovers with your dog in the most responsible way possible. So here goes…

Turkey Meat, Skin & Bones

Meat in itself (including turkey) is holiday food that you can feed your dog.

After all, canines are primarily carnivores.

So one could argue it’s better than normal dog food. Who said Thanksgiving is only for people?

As for the skin, it should be withheld.

Eating too much turkey skin is a recipe for pancreatitis. Large pieces of skin are a choking hazard.

You also shouldn’t allow your dog to chew on leftover bones.

Turkey bones, in particular, can easily splinter. They are not appropriate for dogs.

Stuffing, Carrots & More

Besides the main course, there’s usually a wide variety of other offerings.

Be careful with side dishes as some can be harmful for dogs.

Stuffing is often prepared with onions which is dangerous for them.

A small amount of mashed potatoes is fine, preferably without cheese or sour cream. Gravy is usually okay, but it depends how it’s made.

Cranberry sauce tends to be too high in sugar for dogs.

Pure green beans and carrots are mostly what we share besides the main course.

Every Situation is Different

Your family will have different types of Thanksgiving and Christmas left over dishes.

The point is be mindful of ingredients and be conservative when feeding a dog leftovers. Play it safe.

Never Allow Binge Eating

Your dog can only help so much with those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Some animals are prone to Bloat. It can be quite serious (even life threatening). It’s thought to be caused by eating or drinking too much.

Be sure to keep that in mind the next time you give a dog leftovers!


We’ve covered a similar topic (see table scraps).


The Bottom Line

Limit the amount of holiday leftovers your dog gets to enjoy.

Be very selective. Carefully consider which foods to share.

Turkey meat is fine, and even some gravy, but (for example) withhold cooked bones.

Giving a dog Thanksgiving or Xmas leftovers doesn’t have to be problematic. Done right, it’s OK to include pets!

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

Was This Article Helpful?

One thought on “Read This Before Sharing Holiday Leftovers With Your Dog!”

  1. Ben Blackwell says:

    Many veterinarians are called out on festivities for people who feed all the leftovers to the dog. The massive uplift in rich fatty foods can cause problems for their digestion with the liver not producing enough bile to digest comfortably. An expensive mistake!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *