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Many plain foods are fine for a healthy dog in small amounts: cooked turkey or chicken breast with no skin or bones, plain cooked rice, carrots, green beans, apple slices without the core and plain canned pumpkin. Never give chocolate, grapes or raisins, onions or garlic, anything sweetened with xylitol, macadamia nuts, alcohol or cooked bones. Rich, fatty scraps such as ham fat, turkey skin and gravy are the other big risk at holiday meals.
This guide lists what the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the FDA, the Merck Veterinary Manual, the Tufts veterinary nutritionists and the UK charities PDSA and RSPCA say. It is general information for healthy adult dogs, not veterinary advice. Dogs with a medical condition or on a special diet can react differently, so ask your vet before adding any new food.
If your dog has eaten something on the "never" list, call your vet or an emergency clinic now, even if your dog seems fine. In the US you can also call ASPCA Animal Poison Control on (888) 426-4435 (24/7; a consultation fee may apply) or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661 ($99 per incident). In the UK, Animal PoisonLine is on 01202 509 000 (24 hours; £35 per call 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays, £45 at other times).
Safe and unsafe foods at a glance
| Food | Verdict | Why, and how |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey or chicken breast | OK in small amounts | Cooked, plain, no skin, bones or seasoning (Tufts, PDSA) |
| Plain white rice | OK in small amounts | Cooked and unseasoned; with chicken it is a short-term bland meal only if your vet agrees, not a complete diet (Tufts) |
| Carrots, green beans, celery, peas | OK in small amounts | Raw or cooked, bite-sized, no butter, oil or salt (PDSA, Tufts) |
| Plain canned pumpkin | OK in small amounts | Plain, no salt; not spiced pie mix (Tufts) |
| Apple, banana, blueberries, strawberries | OK as an occasional treat | Peeled or sliced, seeds, pips and core removed; fruit is sugary (PDSA) |
| Tuna | Occasionally, plain | Not on the poison lists; choose plain tuna in water and keep it occasional (see below) |
| Chocolate, coffee, caffeine | Never | Theobromine and caffeine; darker chocolate is worse (Merck) |
| Grapes, raisins, currants, sultanas | Never | Linked to kidney failure in dogs (Merck, PDSA) |
| Onion, garlic, leeks, chives | Never | Raw, cooked, dried or powdered can damage red blood cells (Merck) |
| Xylitol ("birch sugar") | Never | Sudden low blood sugar (FDA) |
| Macadamia nuts | Never | Weakness, vomiting, tremors (Merck, ASPCA) |
| Alcohol and raw yeast dough | Never | Alcohol poisoning; dough can bloat the stomach (ASPCA, Merck) |
| Cooked bones | Never | Can splinter, choke or block the gut (FDA, RSPCA) |
| Ham fat, turkey skin, gravy, fat trimmings | Skip | Rich, fatty scraps; linked to pancreatitis (FDA, RSPCA) |
| Raw or undercooked meat, raw eggs | Skip | Salmonella and E. coli; raw egg affects vitamin uptake (ASPCA) |
| Milk and dairy | Best avoided | Pets have little lactase, so dairy can cause diarrhoea (ASPCA) |
Foods dogs can eat, and how to serve them
The Tufts veterinary nutrition team suggests treats of about 15-20 calories each such as baby carrots, cucumber, green beans, celery, steamed squash, apple, berries, banana, watermelon, a quarter of a hard-boiled egg, boiled or baked chicken or turkey breast and plain canned pumpkin with no salt. The PDSA adds peas, sweetcorn cut off the cob, cooked and peeled sweet potato, and cooked potato with the skin removed (never raw potato), all with no oil, butter, salt or seasoning.
Three rules make most of these work:
- Plain means plain. The food itself is usually not the problem; the butter, salt, sauce, onion or garlic cooked into it is. Tufts says to skip vegetables made with lots of butter, sauces, salt and seasoning.
- Small and cut up. Give bite-sized pieces. Fruit only now and then, because of the sugar (PDSA).
- Not a replacement meal. Chicken and rice is not a complete and balanced diet, and Tufts warns that feeding it long term can cause serious harm.
Can dogs eat tuna? Tuna is not on the ASPCA, Merck or PDSA lists of foods to avoid. It is a fish people are told to limit because of mercury: the FDA's fish advice for people puts canned light tuna in its lowest-mercury group, albacore and yellowfin in the middle group, and bigeye in the highest. If you share tuna, keep it occasional and plain, packed in water rather than oil, brine or a seasoned sauce, and ask your vet before making it a habit.
Can dogs eat cat food? A stolen bite is not on any of the poison lists above, but cat food is made for cats. For your dog's daily food, check that the label says it is complete and balanced for dogs at your dog's life stage; our guide to buying pet food online explains how to read the label and switch foods gradually.
What dogs can never eat
These foods come up on every list we checked. There is no "small amount" advice for them.
- Chocolate, coffee and caffeine. The Merck Veterinary Manual says chocolate poisoning is most common in dogs, and that unsweetened baking chocolate and cocoa powder carry far more of the harmful compounds than milk chocolate. The RSPCA calls chocolate one of the most common causes of pet poisoning, especially at Christmas.
- Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas. They have led to kidney failure in some dogs. The RSPCA warns that even small amounts can cause kidney failure within one to three days. Christmas pudding and mince pies often contain them.
- Onion, garlic, leeks and chives. Merck reports poisoning from raw, cooked, dehydrated or granulated onion and garlic, and says garlic is 3-5 times more toxic than onion. Signs of anaemia can take a few days to show. Check stuffing, gravy and seasoned dishes for them before sharing.
- Xylitol. This sweetener, also sold as birch sugar or wood sugar, can drop a dog's blood sugar dangerously within 10 to 60 minutes, the FDA says. It turns up in sugar-free gum, mints and sweets, baked goods, some peanut and nut butters, toothpaste and sugar-free desserts, so read the label before sharing.
- Macadamia nuts. Merck notes dogs are the only species reported to fall ill from them; signs include vomiting, weakness and tremors. Other nuts are high in fat and can upset the stomach (ASPCA).
- Alcohol and raw yeast dough. Alcohol can cause vomiting, tremors, breathing problems and coma. Raw bread dough keeps rising in the stomach and produces alcohol as it ferments (ASPCA, Merck).
- Cooked bones. Turkey, chicken and steak bones can get stuck in the oesophagus, stomach or windpipe, and sharp pieces can injure the mouth (FDA). The RSPCA notes cooked poultry bones splinter. The ASPCA also warns that raw bones can injure or block the gut.
Holiday plates: Thanksgiving and Christmas
Holiday meals put the safe and unsafe foods on the same plate, often with guests slipping scraps under the table. Tufts says emergency vets regularly see pets that stole the entire holiday turkey or ham.
| On the plate | Share? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey breast meat, plain, no skin | A little | Tufts, PDSA |
| Plain green beans, carrots, plain pumpkin | A little | Tufts |
| Turkey skin, ham fat, fat trimmings, gravy | No: rich and fatty, linked to pancreatitis | FDA, RSPCA |
| Stuffing or dressing | No: very salty, and onion is toxic even cooked | RSPCA |
| Turkey carcass, ham bone, rib bones | No: choking and blockage | FDA, RSPCA |
| Christmas pudding, mince pies | No: raisins, currants, sultanas | RSPCA |
| Chocolates, sugar-free desserts and gum | No: chocolate, xylitol | FDA, RSPCA |
| Wine, beer, cocktails, rising bread dough | No | ASPCA, FDA |
| Skewers and roasting string | Keep away: dangerous if swallowed | Tufts |
The FDA lists fat trimmings and the skin from roast turkey or chicken among the scraps to avoid, because rich foods can cause pancreatitis, with vomiting, belly pain and diarrhoea. The RSPCA says too many fatty foods can lead to pancreatitis, which can be fatal, and the Merck Veterinary Manual names eating rubbish or large amounts of table scraps as a common suspected risk factor. Ham can also be salty, and the ASPCA warns that too much salt can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, seizures.
On the day:
- [ ] Ask guests not to feed the dog, and put out a small bowl of plain turkey breast or the dog's own treats for anyone who wants to share.
- [ ] Wrap bones and scraps and put them straight in a bin the dog cannot open, as the FDA advises.
- [ ] Keep chocolate boxes, gifts of food, handbags (gum, mints) and drinks off low tables.
- [ ] Clear plates before people leave the table, and keep the dog out of the kitchen while food is out on the counter.
How much is too much: the 10% rule
Even safe foods add up. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say a pet should get only 10% of its daily calories from treats, and that includes table scraps, training treats and any food used to give medication. They give two examples: a 10 lb dog needs about 300 calories a day, so about 30 calories of treats; a 75 lb dog needs about 1,400 calories, so about 140. A medium carrot is about 25 calories, so a small dog's whole treat allowance can be one carrot.
The rest should come from your dog's main food. When you give extras, the PDSA says to reduce the dog's meals to match. Puppies need their own plan: see what the UC Davis vets say in our guide to house-training a puppy, where food and treats are part of the routine.
When to call the vet
Call your vet, an emergency clinic or a poison line straight away if your dog has eaten anything on the "never" list, a whole plate of fatty scraps, or a cooked bone, or if it is vomiting, weak, wobbly, trembling, has a swollen belly or is collapsing. The FDA says xylitol signs can start fast but some effects can show up 12 to 24 hours later, and grape and onion damage can take days, so do not wait for signs. Have the packet or recipe to hand, with your dog's weight and roughly how much was eaten and when, and follow the instructions you are given rather than trying home remedies.
| Where you are | Who to call | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| US | Your vet or emergency clinic first; ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, 24/7 | Consultation fee may apply |
| US | Pet Poison Helpline, (855) 764-7661, 24/7 | $99 per incident |
| UK | Your vet; Animal PoisonLine (run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service), 01202 509 000, 24 hours | £35 weekdays 8 am-8 pm, £45 other times |
What to buy, if anything
You do not need to buy anything special to share food safely. Three things help:
- A complete and balanced dog food that suits your dog's age and size, so treats stay the 10% extra rather than the diet. If you order online, our guide to frozen pet food deliveries covers what to check when it arrives.
- Treats made for dogs with the calories printed on the pack, so you can count them against the 10%.
- A lidded or locking kitchen bin, and a sealed tin for chocolate and sweets, so scraps, bones and wrappers stay out of reach.
Last checked: 26 October 2026. Sources: ASPCA, people foods to avoid feeding your pets; ASPCA Animal Poison Control; FDA, Paws off xylitol; FDA, keep your dogs and cats safe from holiday hazards (content current as of 17 December 2025); FDA, advice about eating fish; Merck Veterinary Manual, food hazards; Merck, garlic and onion toxicosis; Merck, chocolate toxicosis; Merck, pancreatitis in dogs; Tufts Petfoodology: treat options (2021), holiday foods (2023), bland diets (2022), safe and healthy treats (2016); PDSA, your dog's diet; RSPCA, Christmas dangers for pets; Pet Poison Helpline; Animal PoisonLine.
