What Can I Make My Dog for Thanksgiving?

You can make your dog a small Thanksgiving plate with plain, fully cooked turkey, a spoonful of plain pumpkin, and a few cooked green beans, served separately from your family’s seasoned meal. Remove the turkey skin and all bones, and set aside your dog’s portion before adding butter, salt, gravy, onions, garlic, or other seasonings.

For an easy fall treat, mix a small amount of plain canned pumpkin with unsweetened, xylitol-free peanut butter, then offer a little on its own or spread it thinly inside your dog’s usual food toy. Use 100% pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie filling, which can contain sugar and spices, and introduce any unfamiliar ingredient in a small amount to see how your dog tolerates it.

Plain cooked sweet potato, carrots, and green beans can make colorful additions to your dog’s holiday bowl; cook them until soft and cut them into pieces suited to your dog’s size. Serve them without marshmallows, sauces, butter, or seasoning, and keep portions modest because a sudden change from your dog’s usual diet can cause stomach upset.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating choose dog-friendly sides.

Keep cooked bones, stuffing, gravy, onion, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, alcohol, and foods containing xylitol away from your dog, including scraps that guests might be tempted to share. Fatty foods such as turkey skin can also cause problems, so ask your veterinarian for guidance before offering holiday extras if your dog has a sensitive stomach, a medical condition, or a prescribed diet.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating skip the risky holiday foods.

We suggest serving your dog’s small treat in a familiar spot and asking guests not to feed table scraps, especially when the kitchen and dining room are busy. For more ideas, visit our Thanksgiving dog food guide; our Easy Thanksgiving Dog Treat Checklist is also available as a digital holiday pet guide with DIY homemade dog treat recipes.