What Foods Can Dogs Eat at Christmas?
Wondering what dogs can eat at Christmas? It can be tempting to have them join in with all festivities, including that full plate of food, but it’s important to be careful what they eat at all times, including during the holidays. There’s a list of things they need to avoid, but there are also some foods you can happily sneak off your plate knowing they won’t do your pooch any harm. Let's check out what they can eat and what they need to stay away from (no matter how much they plead!).
5 Foods Dogs Can Eat at Christmas
1. Turkey
Make sure there are no bones in the cooked turkey you give to your dog, but small helpings of unseasoned turkey are safe for your dog to enjoy.
2. Sweet Potato
Dogs can eat cooked sweet potato – ensure that the sweet potato is plain, with no butter mixed in and no toppings. You could also serve your pooch a small helping of mashed potato, but only if there is no butter, milk etc involved.
3. Cranberries
Cranberries must be of the unsweetened variety and certainly mustn’t be sweetened with xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
4. Carrots, Green Beans, and Broccoli
These vegetables can safely be included as part of a treat for your pooch on Christmas Day, as long as they’re served plain.
5. Pumpkin
Treating your dog to some pumpkin at Christmas is safe, although it’s best to steer clear of pumpkin desserts, that are likely to contain ingredients such as sugar or sweeteners.
5 Foods Your Dog Shouldn’t Eat at Christmas
There’s a long list of foods (and drink) your pup shouldn’t consume at Christmas, or any time of year. Here are some examples:
1. Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins are dangerous to dogs and so should never be fed to them. This means that fruitcake needs to be kept away from your furry friend.
2. Chocolate
A popular human treat at Christmas that dogs shouldn’t eat is chocolate. Containing theobromine, which is poisonous to dogs, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it will be to dogs.
3. Candy
Sugary candy can lead to dogs developing pancreatitis, so it’s best to keep all candy safely out of reach of your pooch. Sugar-free candy also needs to be kept away from your dog, as it often contains xylitol.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol should never be given to dogs, due to the health conditions it can cause. This means that eggnog needs to be kept away from your pet pooch.
5. Garlic, Onions, Leeks, and Chives
Garlic, onions, leeks, and chives are all part of the allium family, and all are toxic to dogs. Whether raw, cooked, or powdered, these foods are harmful to canines, so need to be avoided.
Trying to understand what dogs can eat at Christmas can be tricky, so it’s always best to keep things simple and only offer them small portions of human food that’s unseasoned and unsweetened. If you’re unsure if something is safe for your dog, it’s usually best to avoid giving it to them, just in case.
A very Merry Christmas to you, your family, and your furry companions!
