No gravy for Fido: What’s OK to feed your dog from the Thanksgiving table

We all know the look: Patient. Wide-eyed. Nostrils flared, tongue licking the lips.

The dog wants to share in our Thanksgiving dinner. Should we give in and cut off a piece of turkey?

South Florida veterinarians say to go for it, as long as the turkey is lean and gravy-less. Be careful with other Thanksgiving table foods, though, as they can pose risks depending how heavily salted and sugared they are.

It’s also important to make sure not to overfeed, as 59% of American dogs are overweight, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

“The risk of giving table food to dogs is that they will consume more than their recommended daily calorie allowance, they could develop nutritional deficiencies, and this could cause [gastrointestinal] issues,” said Dr. David Shapiro, the shelter veterinarian at Broward County Animal Care.

These Thanksgiving foods are safe for most dogs, according to Shapiro and Dr. Gavin Casper, medical director at Hometown Animal Hospital in Weston:

• Lean turkey (white meat, no skin)
• Cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans (no sugar, no spices)

These holiday table foods should not be fed to dogs:

• Cranberry sauce
• Alcohol
• Stuffing
• Mashed potatoes with butter and cream
• Sweet desserts
• Gravy
• Bones

And don’t offer a combination of foods in one bite. “I would avoid mixing too many foods together as most dogs are not used to a wide diversity of food high in salt, sugar and fat, which may disrupt their normal intestinal flora and lead to GI distress,” Shapiro said.

Feeding fatty foods to dogs poses severe risks to their digestive systems, Shapiro said.

“Food high in fat such as grease from a pan is a risk factor for causing pancreatitis and can be a more serious medical issue,” he said. “Some people pour the grease outside and later on their dog finds it and ingests a load of grease-laden dirt, which causes an impaction. The other major problem we see is dogs eating bones, which can become stuck in the esophagus. Small dogs are more prone to this problem.”

Casper said to call your vet or nearest animal emergency room if your dog begins to vomit, have diarrhea or show symptoms of lethargy. Even if the dog looks OK, know when to stop, he said.

“Everything in moderation,” he said. “Keep it as plain and simple as possible.”

Shapiro said he used to be strict about not feeding his dogs from the table but has become less disciplined as the dogs have grown older.

“For my dogs, I will stick to just giving some turkey,” he said. “I didn’t use to give any people food to my dogs, but as they have aged, I have become more lax.”