Digestion · 6 min
Can Dogs Eat Cabbage? Raw vs Cooked, Red vs Green, Sauerkraut and Coleslaw
Raw vs cooked, red vs green, how much cabbage by size, the gas and thyroid questions, and why sauerkraut and coleslaw are...
Miki RapoportThanksgiving Foods Dogs Can and Can't Eat: Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy and Pie
Turkey, stuffing, gravy, the sides and the pie: what your dog can have from the Thanksgiving table, what to keep away from her, and what to do if she already got into it.
Published
8 min
If you're trying to figure out which Thanksgiving foods dogs can eat, it's the plain ones. A little white turkey meat with the skin off, a few green beans, a spoon of sweet potato or pumpkin from before the butter and sugar went in, most dogs do fine with those. What causes trouble is everything we do to the food after that. The onions in the stuffing, the fat in the gravy and the skin, raisins, a sugar-free pie, and the bones she finds in the trash later that night. So below is the whole table, dish by dish, with a chart you can save, and at the end what to do if she already helped herself.
What Thanksgiving food can dogs eat? The short list
Plain turkey, plain green beans, plain sweet potato and plain pumpkin[1][2][3]. Stuffing, gravy and pie stay on your plate. These are the six dishes people ask about most:
| Food | Can she have it? | The safe version |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Yes, plain | White meat, fully cooked, no skin, no bones, no seasoning |
| Stuffing | No | None. It often has onion and garlic, sometimes raisins |
| Gravy | No | None. Fat and salt, often onion or garlic too |
| Green beans | Yes, plain | Raw or cooked, no butter or salt. Not the casserole |
| Sweet potato | Yes, plain | Baked, boiled or steamed. No marshmallows, brown sugar or syrup |
| Pumpkin pie | No | Plain cooked pumpkin or 100% pure canned pumpkin instead |
Plain here means cooked with nothing on it. No butter, no salt, no onion or garlic, no sugar. And it means a little, as an extra on top of her normal dinner, not a second dinner.
Can dogs eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Yes, as long as it's plain, boneless, skinless and cooked all the way through[1][4]. White meat is the better pick, and PetMD's vets even put a number on it: a 25-pound dog can have about 40 grams of white meat or 30 grams of dark, skin not included[3]. 40 grams is around an ounce and a half, so we're talking a couple of your bites, not a drumstick.
The skin is where it goes wrong. It's fatty and it's usually coated in butter or oil[2], and the FDA says not to hand over roasted turkey skin or fatty trimmings because rich food like that can bring on pancreatitis, which is painful and can be life-threatening[5]. Sometimes a small amount is enough[1].
Bones are a never. Turkey bones splinter[2], and they can get stuck in her throat or stomach or cut her on the way down[5]. Raw or undercooked turkey can carry salmonella too[4], so nothing off the cutting board while you're carving.
Can dogs eat stuffing or gravy?
No, and no. If you want to put something in her bowl, go with a plain piece of turkey instead.
Gravy is mostly fat and salt, often with onion or garlic in it[3], and the stock or bouillon you make it from is high in salt too[4].
Stuffing often has onion and garlic as well, and some recipes have raisins or grapes in there too[3]. Onion and garlic damage her red blood cells[6]. That goes for raw, cooked or dried onion and garlic, and yes, onion powder counts too[7]. Grapes and raisins can damage her kidneys[6], but the toxic amount is unknown, so Pet Poison Helpline says to take any amount seriously[8].
Can dogs eat mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and green beans?
The plain vegetable is fine, but the holiday recipe usually isn't.
I'd take her portion out before the seasoning goes in. Plain potato is ok for her if you boil it or bake it[2], and sweet potato is fine baked, boiled, steamed or mashed with nothing added[3]. Mashed potatoes usually have butter, cream and salt in them, often garlic or onion powder too, so don't give her those[3]. No marshmallows, brown sugar or maple syrup on her sweet potato either[2].
Green bean casserole isn't safe[3]. You can give her green beans raw or cooked, though, without butter or salt[2][3], and plain peas in moderation are fine too (creamed peas aren't)[2].
If you're making coleslaw, the plain cabbage is fine for her, but the coleslaw isn't. You can read more about that in our can dogs eat cabbage post.
Corn is ok in small amounts once you've taken it off the cob[9]. Put the cobs in a trash can she can't open, because a cob can choke her or block her intestines[9].
Can dogs eat cranberry sauce?
A lick of plain cranberry sauce is probably safe, but I wouldn't spoon it into her bowl[10]. The cranberries themselves are fine for dogs in small amounts, and that goes for fresh ones as well as cooked or dried[10].
Cranberry is on our own label for Pet Nugget, and it has 200 mg of cranberry per 2 chews.
There's all that sugar in sauce, which can upset her stomach, and some recipes have grapes, raisins or currants mixed in, or alcohol[10]. If you didn't make it and can't check the ingredients, she gets none[10].
Check the dried cranberries too, since they're often sold mixed with raisins[10].
Can dogs eat pumpkin pie?
No pumpkin pie for her, but plain cooked pumpkin or 100% pure canned pumpkin is fine[3]. The AVMA calls small pieces of plain pumpkin a healthy snack[1].
Have a look at the can before you open it. Canned pie filling is already sweetened and pre-spiced, so it isn't the same as pure pumpkin[2]. The nutmeg in pie contains a toxin called myristicin[11], though the small amount used to flavor food usually isn't enough to poison a pet, and the higher risk is her getting into the spice itself[11]. I'd still skip pie because its sugar and fat can cause an upset stomach or pancreatitis[3].
Anything sugar-free may contain xylitol, and that's a bigger worry because it can cause low blood sugar and liver damage in dogs[4][6]. Keep chocolate away from her too (baking chocolate is the most dangerous kind)[5], and skip pecan pie because nuts such as pecans can cause vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes pancreatitis[6].
Honestly, I'd give her a spoonful of plain, unsweetened yogurt instead. You can check which yogurt dogs can eat before you pick one.
What about ham, dinner rolls and drinks?
No ham or alcohol for her[12][6]. If you're making rolls, let raw yeast dough rise somewhere she can't reach[13].
Store-bought ham is high in sodium, with more fat than many other meats, and too much fat can lead to pancreatitis[12].
Unbaked dough keeps rising in her warm stomach and stretches it, while the yeast produces alcohol that gets absorbed into her blood[13]. Her belly may swell, she may try to vomit with nothing coming up, and lethargy is another early sign[13]. Then she becomes wobbly and disoriented[13].
A glass left on a low table is within reach. Alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, trouble breathing and tremors, and in severe cases she can go into a coma[6].
How do you make a Thanksgiving plate for your dog?
You don't have to leave her out. Mix a little turkey, sweet potato and green beans into her regular dinner for a holiday treat, as the ASPCA suggests[4].
Set her portion aside while you're cooking, before the butter and seasoning go in. Put her usual food underneath a couple of bites of plain white turkey with no skin or bones, then add a spoonful of plain mashed sweet potato or pure canned pumpkin. A few plain green beans go on there too, cut up.
Or put it in a puzzle toy to keep her busy during the meal[4]. Treats and people food together should stay under 10% of her daily calories[3].
Tell your guests she's already had her portion (the kids especially).
My dog ate Thanksgiving food she shouldn't have. What now?
It depends on what she ate. Call your vet, an emergency clinic or a poison line right away for anything below, even if she seems fine[1].
- Anything sugar-free that may contain xylitol. Vomiting usually comes first, then weakness, staggering, collapse or seizures[5].
- Chocolate, especially baking chocolate[5].
- Grapes, raisins or currants, any amount[8].
- Onion or garlic. Signs often take a few days to appear[7].
- Raw bread dough[13][6].
- Bones or a corn cob[5][9].
If she got into fatty food, like skin, gravy or butter, you're watching for the signs of pancreatitis on the FDA's list: vomiting, stomach pain, restlessness, shaking, diarrhea, fever or weakness[5]. With belly pain she may stand in a "prayer position", front legs on the ground and her rear end raised[14]. Call your vet if you see any of these signs.
Miniature schnauzers get pancreatitis far more often than other breeds, and it's also been reported more in Yorkshire terriers, cocker spaniels, dachshunds and poodles[14].
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a consultation fee may apply[15]
- Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661, open 24/7, $89 per incident[16]
For the trash, the AVMA says to put the turkey carcass and bones in a bag and tie it tightly, then put that bag inside a closed container outdoors or behind a closed door[1].
Sources and further reading
- American Veterinary Medical Association. Thanksgiving pet safety. avma.org
- Kearl M. Which Thanksgiving Foods Can I Give My Dog? Which Should I Avoid? American Kennel Club, updated Nov 10, 2025. akc.org
- Coates J, DVM, reviewed by Manucy T, DVM. Thanksgiving Foods Dogs Can, and Cannot, Eat. PetMD, updated Oct 31, 2024. petmd.com
- ASPCA. Thanksgiving Safety Tips. aspca.org
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe From Holiday Hazards. Dec 17, 2025. fda.gov
- ASPCA. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets. aspca.org
- Hayes C. Garlic and Onion (Allium spp) Toxicosis in Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual, 2024. merckvetmanual.com
- Pet Poison Helpline. Thanksgiving. petpoisonhelpline.com
- American Kennel Club. Can Dogs Eat Corn? Updated Aug 16, 2024. akc.org
- Burke A. Can Dogs Eat Cranberries? American Kennel Club, updated May 22, 2025. akc.org
- Flint C, DVM. Pumpkin Spice: Naughty or Nice? Pet Poison Helpline. petpoisonhelpline.com
- Reisen J. Can Dogs Eat Ham? American Kennel Club, updated May 27, 2025. akc.org
- Hayes C. Bread Dough Toxicosis in Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual, 2024. merckvetmanual.com
- Steiner JM. Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats. Merck Veterinary Manual, 2025. merckvetmanual.com
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. aspca.org
- Pet Poison Helpline. petpoisonhelpline.com
