Thanksgiving is all about sharing good food with the ones we love — and that includes our four-legged family members. While many holiday dishes are off-limits for pets, there are some classic Thanksgiving foods that are safe to share if they’re served plain and in moderation.
Below is a quick guide to what’s pet-friendly, what’s a hard no, and how to keep your furry companion feeling festive and healthy.
🍗 Safe Thanksgiving Foods for Dogs & Cats
✔️ Turkey (plain, lean pieces only)
Remove skin, bones, and excess fat.
Serve small bites of unseasoned, fully cooked white meat.
Avoid gravy, butter, spices, and stuffing.
Want something even easier? Serve your pet our Turkey Meatballs and be 100% sure that they’re getting a safe treat. That way you can season your turkey however you like!
✔️ Plain Pumpkin
Pure pumpkin purée (no sugar, no pie spices) is great for digestion.
A spoonful is plenty for most pets.
✔️ Sweet Potatoes (plain)
Cooked and unseasoned only — no marshmallows, no brown sugar.
Mash or cube into small bites.
✔️ Green Beans
Fresh or cooked plain.
Skip the green bean casserole (onions + cream of mushroom = danger).
✔️ Carrots
Raw or cooked plain.
Great crunch for dogs; for cats, chop finely or lightly steam.
✔️ Apples (no seeds, no core)
A couple of small slices make a safe sweet treat.
🚫 Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid
❌ Stuffing & Gravy
Usually full of onions, garlic, butter, and salt — all unsafe for pets.
❌ Turkey Skin or Bones
Skin = fatty pancreatitis risk
Bones = choking + internal injury
❌ Mashed Potatoes
Often packed with butter, milk, cream, garlic, and salt.
❌ Cranberry Sauce
Too much sugar; often contains raisins (extremely toxic).
❌ Desserts (pie, whipped cream, chocolate)
Chocolate, nutmeg, artificial sweeteners, and high sugar — all no-go.
❌ Alcohol
Even small amounts are dangerous.
🐶🍽️ Portion Tips
Think of people food as a treat, not a meal.
For most pets, one or two bites is enough.
When in doubt, leave it out (or ask your vet!).
💛 A Happy, Healthy Holiday
Sharing safe Thanksgiving foods can be a sweet way to bring your pet into the celebration. With a little caution, everyone at the table — paws included — can enjoy the day.
Wishing you and your furry ones a warm, snuggly, food-coma-filled Thanksgiving! 🦃✨