Christmas Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs (and Safe Alternatives)
The holiday table is the most common source of seasonal emergencies for dogs. Here are the foods veterinary poison lines see most often.
The dangerous list
- Chocolate: contains theobromine and caffeine. Dark and baking chocolate are far more dangerous than milk chocolate. Signs include vomiting, restlessness, a racing heart and, in serious cases, seizures.
- Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas: can cause kidney injury in dogs, and there is no known safe amount. Watch mince pies, Christmas pudding, fruit cake and stollen. If it has already happened, follow our grapes and raisins emergency guide.
- Xylitol (birch sugar): a sweetener in some sugar-free gum, sweets, baked goods and peanut butters. It can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar and liver damage.
- Onions, garlic, leeks and chives: damage red blood cells, including in powdered form in stuffing and gravy.
- Macadamia nuts: weakness, wobbliness and vomiting.
- Cooked bones: splinter and can cause choking, obstruction or perforation.
- Fatty scraps and turkey skin: a common trigger for pancreatitis. Glazed ham is salty and fatty too; see can dogs eat ham?
- Alcohol and raw yeast dough: dough expands in the stomach and produces alcohol.
Safer treats
Small pieces of plain cooked turkey breast (no skin, bones or seasoning), plain carrot, green beans or a spoon of plain pumpkin are generally well tolerated. Keep extras under about 10% of daily calories.
If your dog eats something
Note what, how much and when, then call your vet or a poison line. Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to. For chocolate, our step-by-step chocolate guide shows how vets judge the risk.
Hosting earlier in the season?
The same risks apply at Thanksgiving, with turkey bones and stuffing at the top of the list. Snowy walks ahead? See winter paw care for dogs.
Not just food
Snow globes, simmering potpourri, button batteries and ribbon cause their share of December emergencies too. See our guide to hidden Christmas hazards for pets.