Christmas is a special time of year for the whole family. And when we say ‘the whole’ family’ we’re talking pets and all.
If you grew up with dogs you’re probably used to sneaking them a portion of the eye-popping feast under the table while no one’s watching. But now it’s your house and your celebration, so you want your pooch to be a part of it too.
We don’t blame you! But before you go plating up a doggy-sized Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, you should probably know what elements of the dinner are safe and definitely not safe for Fido.
Examples of Thanksgiving Foods Your Dog Can Eat
Dogs are inherently greedy. Oftentimes if you put a bowl of food in front of them, they’ll chow down. However, there are ingredients on that slap-up Christmas dinner that are perfect for your pup and others that definitely aren’t.
First, let’s take a look at six ingredients they will love:
- Turkey
- Cranberries
- Sweet potatoes
- Green beans
- Pumpkin
- Apples
Turkey
So the headline news here is that your furry friend can chow down on the star of the show with you, the turkey.
However, if you have the money and time, it might be worth cooking Fido his own piece of turkey, as it should be unseasoned - we all love dogs, but no one is eating unseasoned turkey at Christmas, right?
Cranberries
As long as they are unprocessed and free from xylitol you are absolutely fine to feed cranberries to your dog. In fact, this superfood is actually a rich source of antioxidants.
Sweet potatoes
According to veterinary experts, sweet potatoes are an excellence source of fibre, vitamin C & B6.
Green beans
As long as you’ve kept them plain, any form of green bean should be fine for dogs - canned, raw, steamed, you name it.
Apples
If you remove the core and seeds from the apple before feeding it to your pooch, they are a great source of vitamins A and C.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are that good for your pup, you shouldn’t wait for Christmas to let them chow down. The orange beauties are great for promoting good digestive, skin and coat health.
All these foods are perfectly fine for your dog this Christmas. However, it’s worth mentioning that this is only the case when they have not been seasoned or cooked in fat.
So, now we know what’s good to go, which Christmas foods should Fido definitely avoid?
What not to feed your dog this Christmas:
- Mashed potatoes
- Stuffing
- Sage
- Garlic
- Onion
- Nutmeg
- Creamed peas
- Chocolate
- Butter
- Mushrooms
As we said above, you should avoid fats, poultry skin and bone when treating your dog this holiday season.
Some seasonings make everything delicious, but they can actually be toxic to your pooch. Meanwhile, the added oils and fats in butter and turkey skin can cause all manner of health issues for your pup. From diarrhea all the way up to pancreatitis.
So, in addition to those seasonings and nasty fats, what else on your holiday chomping list is unsafe for your dog?