11/27/2025
Thanksgiving Food Dangers for Dogs and Cats
It can be tempting for you and your guests to sneak the family pet a taste of the delicious meal, but common Thanksgiving dishes are full of ingredients that are toxic to dogs and cats or can cause digestive upset.
Keep your pet away from these dangerous festive foods:
• Turkey. Avoid giving your pet turkey meat, especially fatty dark meat and skin (a small amount of unseasoned white meat is okay), and never give them any leftover bones. Not only are bones a choking hazard, but they can splinter inside your pet’s digestive tract and cause a trip to the emergency vet.
• Garlic, onion, leeks, and chives. These seasonings are common in many Thanksgiving dishes and are toxic to dogs and cats – they can cause destruction of their red blood cells. Avoid giving your pet a bite of anything cooked with these ingredients, like green beans, potatoes, stuffing, or gravy.
• Unbaked dough containing yeast. Unbaked yeast dough can cause a stomach blockage if eaten because the yeast in the dough makes it rise and expand. Plus, the natural fermentation of the yeast in your cat or dog’s stomach can cause alcohol poisoning. If you plan on baking some delicious dinner rolls for Thanksgiving, make sure to proof your dough somewhere that your pet can’t get to it, such as in a turned-off oven or microwave, not right on the counter where it’s often in your pet’s easy reach.
• Desserts. Desserts like pies, fruitcakes, or cookies should be kept out of your pet’s reach as well. Many people know that chocolate is toxic for dogs and cats, but so are raisins, currants, and the popular sugar-substitute xylitol. Xylitol, even in small amounts, is toxic to dogs, so keep that slice of keto-friendly/diabetic-friendly/sugar-free pie to yourself.
Not only do you not want to give your pets any toxic foods, but you want to make sure they don’t decide to dive into the trash in search of yummy scraps. Ask family and guests to not feed the dog and make sure your trash can is secure
