Can Dogs Eat Holiday Food? A Guide for Christmas Gatherings

Can dogs eat holiday food? Some plain, fully cooked foods can be shared in small amounts, but a Christmas dinner often includes ingredients that should stay off your dog's plate. If guests will be feeding themselves near your dog, decide on the rules before the meal and leave a clear chart where everyone can see it.

What can you share?

A little fully cooked, bone-free, unseasoned turkey is one option. Plain cooked sweet potato or pumpkin, carrots, green beans, and apple slices without the core or seeds are other examples from our holiday food guide. Keep portions small and introduce unfamiliar foods one at a time. The preparation matters: a plain ingredient is different from a dish with butter, gravy, or seasoning.

What should guests avoid handing over?

Keep chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion, garlic, chives, alcohol, caffeine, cooked bones, macadamia nuts, and foods containing xylitol away from dogs. Xylitol can appear in some baked goods, sweets, gum, and peanut butter, so check the actual ingredient label. Stuffing and gravy often contain onion or garlic; fruitcake and holiday baking may contain raisins or chocolate.

Be careful with turkey skin, fatty trimmings, cheese and dairy, and other rich holiday dishes. If someone wants to give your dog a treat, have a plain, approved option ready rather than letting guests improvise from the table.

Make the gathering easier for your dog

• Tell guests what, if anything, they may share before food is served.
• Keep serving dishes and leftovers out of reach, and secure the trash afterward.
• Give your dog a quiet place to retreat if the gathering gets noisy.
• Write your vet and nearest 24-hour emergency vet numbers somewhere easy to find.

If your dog gets into a holiday dish

Remove access to the food and call your veterinarian or a pet poison control service promptly. Be ready to say what was eaten, approximately how much, when it happened, and your dog's weight. Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian or poison control professional directs you to do so. Keep the packaging if it helps identify the ingredients.

Keep reading: holiday pet sitter and guest checklist · holiday plants and decorations around cats.

General information only, not veterinary advice. When in doubt, call your vet. For further guidance, see ASPCA's holiday meal safety information and its people-food hazards overview. These resources are provided for reference; Wag & Wild Goods is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.