What Thanksgiving foods are safe to share with your pets?

GHENT, WV (WVNS) — Food is an essential part of Thanksgiving, but what foods can you and can you not share with your furry friends?

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Family and friends will gather around the table for the holiday, but your pets will also hang around the table to see if they can get any parts of a delicious Thanksgiving feast. However while some foods are safe for your pets, some could cause problems.

According to the American Kennel Club and the Old Farmer’s Almanac, here are some foods that you can and cannot feed to your pets on Thanksgiving:

Foods that pets can have:

Sweet Potatoes

Plain sweet potatoes (no extra seasoning, brown sugar, or marshmallows) contain dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and beta-carotene that can be good for your pets.

Potatoes

Boiled or baked potatoes are safe for pets to eat, however stay away from giving them mashed potatoes that can include foods such as butter, milk, and sometimes other seasonings.

Apples

Apples have fiber, and vitamins A and C that can be good for pets, just do not give them the core or seeds. Keep them away from apple pie, as the extra seasoning in the pie is not good for animals.

Bananas

High in potassium, vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper and low in cholesterol and sodium, bananas are a good snack for pets. However they have a high sugar content, so do not give them too much.

Broccoli

Broccoli is high in fiber and vitamin C and low in fat. Small portions of unseasoned, boiled, steamed, (and sometimes raw) broccoli is good for pets to eat. However pets should not eat too much of it, and will need it chopped in small pieces as it could be a possible choking hazard for small pets.

Carrots and Celery

Bite-sized pieces of carrots and celery are good for pets, as they are low calorie and full of vitamins and nutrients. Cooked carrots are better for cats, as raw carrots could be harder for them to chew than dogs.

Cheese

Tiny portions of cheese are not bad for dogs, especially low fat cheese (however cats tend to be lactose intolerant). So while your dogs could have some small bites of cheese, make sure they do not eat very much of it. Cheese is not recommended for cats, as it can cause digestive issues even if it is not toxic.

Turkey Meat

Your pets can have plain turkey meat, as long as it is plain and does not have seasonings, bones, or skin.

Corn

Small amounts of corn kernels should not bother your pet, however do not let them eat the cob as it can cause intestinal blockages or a choking hazard.

Rice

Plain cooked white rice is fine for pets in small amounts, however they cannot have brown rice (as it is harder to digest).

Green Beans

With fiber, manganese, and vitamins C and K, green beans are a good treat for your pets. If you feed your pets green beans, be sure that they are plain and are not prepared with salt or butter.

Peas

Like green beans, peas are best served plain. Creamed peas, or any peas made with extra butter or seasonings are not good for pets.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is something many people see at the dinner table on Thanksgiving however when giving it to your pets, make sure to avoid the pumpkin pie. Plain canned pure pumpkin puree is great for pets, as it can help with digestive health and is good for their skin and coats. Pets cannot have pre-seasoned or pumpkin intended for pies as the seasonings in them are unhealthy.

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Foods that pets cannot have:

Turkey skin/gravy

While pets can have plain turkey, the skin, gravy, (and bones) are bad for them as they are rich and contain a lot of fat and seasonings that are harmful and could cause pancreatitis or other digestive issues.

Cooked bones

Cooked bones are one of the top foods to not give your pets, as they can splinter into small, sharp pieces, and cause tears or blockages.

Stuffing/casseroles

Stuffing and casseroles are very rich and fatty, and the seasonings mean they should not be given to your pets as they could potentially cause pancreatitis or other digestive problems.

Mashed Potatoes

Even though your pets can have boiled and bakes potatoes, mashed potatoes should be kept away from your furry friends. The butter and seasonings in mashed potatoes too rich for pets and can possibly create digestive issues.

Creamed peas

Like mashed potatoes, creamed peas have seasonings that are too rich for pets to consume, which could lead to digestive problems or pancreatitis.

Chocolate/cookies/pies/sweets

Sweets, especially chocolate, are well-known to be bad for pets. Do not feed your pets any holiday sweets or desserts both with and without chocolate, and if you feed them anything sugar-free check to be sure that it does not contain xylitol which is toxic to pets.

Alcohol

Pets should always be kept away from alcohol, as it is toxic for pets.

Grapes/raisins

Grapes and raisins are something that you should not feed your pets, as they can cause kidney failure.

Onions/scallions/garlic

These foods are are toxic to dogs and cats as they can cause a breakdown in red blood cells and result in anemia.

Ham

While pets can have very small portions of ham, too much is not recommended due to large amounts of sodium and fat.

Yeast/uncooked bread dough

Bread dough is unsafe for pets to eat due to the risks of the dough rising once eaten. If a pet eats dough and it rises, it can cause a distended stomach, release toxic levels of ethanol into their bloodstream, mimic and cause bloat, and cause alcohol toxicosis.

Be careful if you choose to share food from the table with your pet on Thanksgiving. Make sure that your pets cannot get into the trash or find any food scraps that may be left over from preparing the food or after the meal.

The last thing anyone wants during the holiday season is an emergency vet visit.

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