Holiday Treats for Your Pet: Safe Foods, Cautions, and Festive Fun!

‘Tis the season for parties, food, fun, and seemingly unending festivities. Most pets enjoy the change in routine: parents enjoying extra time at home, perhaps the small humans are home from school, the overall cheer and joy the season brings – and treats!
It can be tempting to overindulge with our pets by sharing the treats of the season but not all treats are good or healthy options for our pets, and certainly not in excess. Which foods can we safely share this holiday season, and how much is it okay to give?

It’s true that dogs can safely eat most of the food we eat, and most of us know that chocolate, onions and grapes are toxic to them. For any safe and occasional food or treat item, the key is moderation but there are some unsuspecting, lesser-known items that should be avoided altogether.

DNF (Do Not Feed) #1- First on the list of our DNF (Do not Feed) list – any kind of cooked bones! It might be awfully tempting to offer your pet a leftover turkey leg bone or neck. Unfortunately, all cooked bones are dangerous for our pets. A cooked bone can splinter and break into sharp shards which can cause damage to the digestive tract.

Offer instead – a raw turkey neck, or for the smaller dogs, a duck or chicken neck. Raw bones are more pliable and are much less likely to be a problem for the digestive system.
Keep in mind though, that not all raw bones are good for all dogs. As a pet parent, you know your pet best and need to choose a bone that your pet is capable of safely eating. And remember, bone chewing sessions should always be monitored – even for dogs that are used to eating raw bones.

DNF (Do Not Feed) #2, fatty leftovers like turkey skin or other parts of the animal that we don’t eat. We hate to see food go to waste, but giving our pets too much fat, and all at once, can have some significant health implications. Veterinarians see an upswing in pet diagnoses of pancreatitis during the holiday and bbq seasons for this reason. Less emergent but equally concerning is weight gain caused by increased calories paired with less exercise during the holiday season.

Offer instead – Giblets! If turkey is on your holiday menu, the bird usually comes with the giblets stored inside the cavity. These generally include the liver, and can include the gizzard, neck, kidneys and heart. All of these are great little additions to a pet’s food bowl and all can be fed uncooked. To increase palatability of these nutrient-rich organs and reduce the risk of digestive upset, we suggest dicing them up into small pieces and portion to be fed over a few meals or they can even be cooked (but not the neck as mentioned in our DNF #1).

Another option is to feed a small portion of meat or vegetables from your meal - green beans, broccoli, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, brussels sprouts, ensuring that all spices and seasonings used are pet safe. These are all low-calorie and fiber-rich options.

Offer in moderation – sweet potatoes, carrots, banana, corn, and any other high sugar fruit or vegetables. Too much sugar in the diet can cause yeasty paws, ear infections, and in the long-term other more serious health problems.

Corn, though not toxic, is very high in carbohydrates and little else – 100g of corn offers more than 75g of carbohydrates and sugar. It offers no nutrients that can’t be found in other common food sources. Fat is the most efficient way for dogs to generate energy. Dogs can get 2.5 times more energy from fat than from carbohydrates or protein. 

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in their diet (unless pregnant or lactating) but his doesn’t mean that we can’t or shouldn’t feed some carbohydrates. The best options are nutrient-dense and low in calories and sugar.

Tip: Fruits and vegetables offer maximum nutrition and are better digested if they have been cooked or frozen first.

DNF (Do Not Feed) #3 – Known toxic ingredients and foods. Most of us know that chocolate and raisins (or grapes) are toxic to our pets even in very small amounts. Lesser-known human food ingredients that should be added to this list are some common cooking spices like nutmeg and bay leaf. Additionally, macadamia nuts, and Xylitol, an artificial sweetener found in unsweetened /reduced-sugar groceries like peanut butter and baked goods, can be fatal to our pets in extremely small amounts.

Most food that we use in our own kitchens like meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables, and spices are safe for our pets to consume however, if in doubt, it’s best to avoid or contact your veterinarian to be sure.

Once you’ve determined which holiday treats and extras are safe to offer, how do you know how much to give? The best rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule. 80% of your pet’s diet should be food that is balanced to meet their nutritional needs and the remaining 20% can be fun, species-appropriate additions, still ensuring that those extras nourish the body rather than just offer empty calories from fat or sugar.

During these seasons when treats are more abundant, or when guests give in to the mooching dog, offset the extra treat intake by a slightly smaller raw meal later on. Reducing meal portions to compensate for the treats, helps to maintain a healthy weight. This method also ensures that the diet stays nutritionally balanced.

Holiday Dinner, a special seasonal treat we’ve crafted just for your pet, makes it easy to extend the holiday fun into their meal time! It’s an easy way include our pets in the celebrating without the risk of digestive upset, exposure to human food that might not be safe, or excessive amounts of fat or calories. While you’re feasting around the table with family or friends, or relaxing after an afternoon of shoveling snow, the pup can enjoy some Holiday Dinner, unique blend of Turkey, venison, cranberries, sweet potato, and green beans, in a recipe and portion that’s perfect for him! Everyone can celebrate together – it’s a win – win!