Can Dogs Eat Christmas Dinner?

It’s the time of year to celebrate and that’s with our dogs too! So as you tuck into your Christmas dinner it’s worth taking a look at what your dog can and can’t have from your plate.

Feeding your dog from the plate is often a big no-no. However it’s Christmas and if you really want to we aren’t going to tell you off! But it's worth knowing which parts of our Christmas dinner really isn’t good for your dog.

Disclaimer!

Just to be clear we’re not saying the things you can feed from your Christmas dinner are good for the dog as part of their diet. But we do want to point out some of the better ones and what you should really be avoiding.

What Dogs Can Have From Your Christmas Dinner

Turkey, Goose or Beef

Don’t go over the top but a bit of cooked meat is fine. Remember some of the cuts, especially with goose can be very fatty and if your dog isn’t used to that it may be best to avoid them.

Potatoes

This is a bit contentious and as many of you know we don’t like to see white potato as part of a regular diet for a dog. However as a one off on a special day there’s no nutritional reason that white potato will cause an issue. Remember not to add salt or spice!

Vegetables

Carrots, brussel sprouts, swede, parsnips, and peas will be fine. Make sure if you do that there’s been no seasoning or spices added.

Cranberry Sauce

If you’re making your own cranberry sauce this will not just be fine, it will probably be good for them! Again, we’re looking for no added seasonings and spices.

What Dogs Should NOT Have From Your Christmas Dinner

Cooked Bones

Please never ever feed dogs cooked bones. Cooking the bones makes them far more likely to splinter and become very sharp potentially causing extreme damage.

Gravy

Gravy tends to be very salty and will often contain onion granules which are poisonous to dogs.

Onions

I thought it was worth mentioning again. Onions are poisonous to dogs make sure they don’t get hold of them.

Stuffing

There are so many different types, so it’s best to avoid. Again, most will contain onions.

Salt and Spice

Avoid anything that’s high in salt or full of spices.

Chocolate

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs so avoid it completely.

Mince Pies and Christmas Pudding

These are packed with so many ingredients which are poisonous to dogs such as sultanas, currants, raisins and alcohol. Mince Pies or Christmas Pudding if eaten by a dog could have very serious side effects.

Having said all of this if you want to give your dog a treat at Christmas it’s far safer to feed treats specifically for dogs. There are some fab ones on the market and to be honest they’ll probably thank you more for them than for human food!