What can dogs eat during Christmas dinner?

The holiday season is full of delicious food, and your dog might be hoping for a taste too. While some Christmas treats can be harmful, there are plenty of festive foods that are perfectly safe for dogs.

Sharing a special snack on Christmas Day can make your dog feel included in the celebrations. With a little consideration, you can create a dog-friendly Christmas menu that keeps tails wagging. Here’s a guide to all the foods your dog can safely enjoy from your plate.

Christmas foods your dog should avoid

Dogs should avoid Christmas pudding, mince pies, and Christmas cake, as these treats often contain ingredients like raisins, nuts, and sugar that can be harmful to them. An expert at Blue Cross warned: “Grapes and dried vine fruits, including currants, sultanas and raisins, can cause severe kidney failure if eaten.” 

Macadamia nuts should also be avoided, as even small amounts can cause dogs to be very tired, weak in their back legs, hot, shaky, and stiff. As is commonly known, your canine should also avoid chocolate, as even small amounts can cause serious illness. 

However, it’s less well known that dogs should stay away from onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives. These all come from the allium family and are toxic to dogs, whether raw or cooked. Avoid giving them any foods that contain these ingredients, such as gravy and stuffing.

According to Pet MD, dogs shouldn’t have cranberry sauce. They said: “While cranberry sauce isn’t toxic for dogs, it isn’t the healthiest thing for them to eat.

“Cranberry sauce contains quite a bit of sugar. This would be very bad for dogs with diabetes or other sugar-sensitive diseases.”

Christmas foods your dog can eat

Dog experts at Purina revealed that dogs can actually eat turkey. They said: “Dogs can eat turkey as long as it’s boneless and skinless.

“The skin is much too fatty for your dog, while the bones can cause internal damage, so ensure that you’ve taken the time to remove these from the meat before adding it to your dog’s Christmas dinner.” 

While your dog cannot eat roast potatoes, they can enjoy a boiled or mashed potato. “Ensure that you haven’t added lots of butter or salt before offering them to your dog. Only feed these in small portions as they’re high in starch, which dogs may find difficult to digest.”

They added: “There are lots of vegetables that you can add to your dog’s Christmas dinner. Green beans, Brussel sprouts, parsnips, peas and swede can all be fed as a tasty and healthy snack. However, be sure to feed vegetables in moderation as if your dog eats too many, they may get wind or even diarrhoea problems.”