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Thanksgiving at our house means a full table, a kitchen working overtime — and four giant dogs plus three cats who are all completely convinced the holiday is about them. (Honestly? They’re not entirely wrong.)
Every year I get the same hopeful Bernese stare as the turkey comes out of the oven. And every year I have to be the bad guy about some of it — because while a little plain turkey is just fine, a lot of what’s on a Thanksgiving table can make a dog seriously sick.
So here’s my real-life guide: what your dog can share, what to keep far away, and the trick I use to keep four giant dogs happy while we eat.
What’s Safe (in Small Amounts)
- Plain cooked turkey — no skin, no bones, no seasoning. A few small pieces as a treat, not a plateful.
- Plain pumpkin purée — the plain canned stuff, NOT pumpkin pie filling (that has sugar and spices).
- Plain sweet potato — no marshmallows, no brown sugar, no butter.
- Plain green beans — raw or cooked, no seasoning.
- Carrots and apple slices — no apple seeds.
The keyword is plain. The moment butter, seasoning, or sugar enters the picture, it moves to the other list.
Keep These Far Away From Your Dog
- Turkey bones — cooked bones splinter and can puncture the digestive tract. This is the big one.
- Onion, garlic, leeks, chives — toxic to dogs, and they’re hiding in the stuffing and the gravy.
- Grapes and raisins — can cause kidney failure, even in small amounts.
- Chocolate desserts — the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous.
- Xylitol (birch sugar) — in sugar-free products. Extremely toxic, even tiny amounts.
- Fatty scraps — turkey skin, drippings, buttery anything. A big greasy meal can trigger pancreatitis, and that’s an emergency vet visit you don’t want on a holiday.
- Nutmeg — it’s in the pumpkin pie, and it’s toxic to dogs in quantity.
- Alcohol — obviously, but holiday punches get left at dog height.
The ASPCA keeps a full list of people foods to avoid feeding your pets — worth bookmarking before the holidays.
If Your Dog Eats Something They Shouldn’t
Don’t panic — but don’t wait either.
- Figure out what they ate and how much.
- Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet clinic right away. Save the number in your phone now, before the holiday.
- Don’t try to induce vomiting unless your vet tells you to.
Most Thanksgiving mishaps are a stolen dinner roll, not a crisis. But grapes, xylitol, and a pile of turkey bones are worth a call every time.
The Real Trick: Keep Them Busy While You Eat
Here’s what actually works at our house. Saying “no” to four giant dogs for two hours is a losing battle — so instead, I give them something better to do. Before we sit down, I set out stuffed toys loaded with dog-safe goodies. The crew is happily occupied, and nobody’s begging (much).
These are the exact three I use:
KONG Classic — the old reliable. I stuff it with plain pumpkin purée mixed with kibble and freeze it overnight. Takes a Bernese a good 45 minutes. Check the price on Amazon →
Toppl by West Paw — easier to fill than a KONG and great for dogs who give up on the narrow opening. Same pumpkin-and-kibble trick works. Check the price on Amazon →
Snuffle mat — I scatter kibble through it and let them “hunt.” Ten minutes of sniffing tires a dog out more than you’d think. Check the price on Amazon →
Freeze the stuffed ones the night before and you’ve bought yourself a peaceful dinner.
Have a Safe (and Delicious) Thanksgiving
Our Ben, who we lost in March, was the undisputed champion of Thanksgiving counter-surfing — a 140-lb Bernese can reach a lot of counter. We miss him fiercely, and every holiday has a Ben-shaped hole in it now.
Keep your pups safe this weekend. Share the plain turkey, skip the pie, and give them an extra treat from us. 🧡
