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Do Thanksgiving turkey and dogs go together?

By Wesley Coburn

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: A Pekingese waits for judging on day two of the annual Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 6, 2009 in Birmingham, England. During this year's four-day competition nearly 23,000 dogs and their owners will vie for a variety of accolades but ultimately seeking the coveted 'Best In Show'. Amid controversy over the breeding and welfare of dogs the main sponsors Pedigree and the BBC have this year dropped out of the world's biggest dog show. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: A Pekingese waits for judging on day two of the annual Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 6, 2009 in Birmingham, England. During this year's four-day competition nearly 23,000 dogs and their owners will vie for a variety of accolades but ultimately seeking the coveted 'Best In Show'. Amid controversy over the breeding and welfare of dogs the main sponsors Pedigree and the BBC have this year dropped out of the world's biggest dog show. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) /
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For many, Thanksgiving means time with family and tons of delicious food, including turkey and ham.

But what leftovers can dogs safely eat once they’ve stolen them from the kitchen, or Uncle Mike’s plate while he takes a nap waiting for the Cowboys game to come on? Like, can they eat turkey okay?

According to the American Kennel Club, yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem, so long as there aren’t any bones attached. (Dogs gulp instead of chewing carefully, which is why cats can eat some things they can’t.)

Ham would be fine for Rover to scarf down, too. But if you felt like cooking a special snack for your pup, the folks at Canine Journal have a good recipe for turkey-based treats.

Also, the Canine Journal  reports that Montana puppers are most likely to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, following by Delaware, Alaska, West Virginia and New Mexico, in that order.

The dogs least likely to eat turkey are in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Arkansas. Which provinces Canadian dogs eat the most turkey on their Thanksgiving (in October) would be interesting to know, too.

The AKC recommends avoiding, if possible, feeding your dog anything with lots of added fats, sugars, salt or spices, which would include turkey skin,  stuffing, etc.

Salt and garlic can’t be digested very well, and keep the stuffing leftovers out of tongue reach – it probably has onions in it, which are toxic to canines.

A surprising amount of fruit is safe for dogs to eat, including apples, bananas and berries. Just be sure to NEVER feed your dog grapes in any form, including raisins, are they have been known to cause comas or death in dogs.

Sweet potatoes should be all right, if they don’t have toppings. They’re often used as an ingredient in upscale diets.

Pies are a no-go, due to their high sugar content, which our pups can’t digest very well. Also, they can’t eat nuts, which doubly rules out the pecan pies, and pumpkin could be poisonous due to a chemical in the canned filling.

If you don’t want your dog to eat leftover human food, maybe consider splurging on a higher-end treat to celebrate the holidays.

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