Christmas Leftovers? The Dog Safe Edition

The Wagateur guide to what foods are safe to feed your dog this Christmas 

Let’s face it, we all love to spoil our puppers, especially during the festive season. But what’s safe to share with your dog from the table and what isn’t, can be a bit of a minefield to navigate. We want to share our delicious leftovers with our dogs so they can enjoy Christmas too, but it’s important that we don’t give them anything that could make them sick. Below, we’ve outlined some leftovers dos and don’ts so you and your 4-legged bestie can both have the best Christmas possible. 

Go Easy On the Rich Foods:

Much of what we eat at Christmas time is very rich - think about your extravagant gravy, creamy mash and beautifully rich meats. Unfortunately, such rich foods are a bit much for dog’s digestive system so it’s important to be mindful of how rich the food is when sharing any leftovers with your dog. Excessively rich foods can cause your dog to be sick and none of us want to be cleaning that mess up on Christmas night! 

No Allium Antics:

We go all out with flavours at Christmas and the allium family shows up in droves in our Christmas meals. The allium family includes garlic, leeks, shallots and onions. Unfortunately, everything in the allium family is toxic to dogs so it’s very important to ensure your dog doesn’t ingest anything containing any of these flavourful bulbs. These things show up time and time again in sauces, glazes and stuffing, so be sure to be mindful if you’re sharing with your dog, that none of those things have crept in. 

Don’t Chuck the Dog a Bone:

We’re left with a big pile of bones at the end of a delicious Christmas dinner. Once all of the lovely turkey meat has been pulled off and devoured, we often think we’re doing our dogs a favour to let them enjoy the bones. Cooked bones are dangerous as they splinter and cause tears and damage to the stomach and intestines. They can also cause blockages in the gut. If your dog is keen on bones, make sure you only give them raw bones to chew on and definitely refrain from sharing the bony leftovers of your Christmas dinner. We have a range of safe antler chews on our site, which are a great for you pupper to gnaw away at. You can check them out here. 

Choc-Oh-No:

Many of us know that chocolate is toxic to dogs and we’re careful to make sure they don’t get their paws on any. However, at Christmas time, there are often boxes of chocolate floating around right at snout height and all the humans are often distracted meal-prepping, toasting and enjoying new gifts. Make sure your dog never has access to chocolate, even a little bit can make your dog very sick. We recommend keeping the quality street and the celebrations well out of reach of your pooch to avoid a trip to the vet over the festive period. 

So, what can your dog enjoy from the Christmas meal? 

All veggies are a good option, but it’s best to share them before they’re dressed up and drizzled in sauces and oils. Perhaps set aside a small portion for your dog immediately after cooking. Dogs are usually especially partial to parsnips, carrots and broccoli. You might even want to offer them the leftover Brussels sprouts! Lean, white meat is a great thing to share and will be thoroughly enjoyed by your dog. The main thing is to keep it simple with what you’re offering your dog and remember that they don’t need a full Christmas dinner. Let’s face it, what your dog wants more than a bowl full of turkey dinner is extra cuddles and a sneaky snooze on the couch! 

If you are feeling a little stuffed over the Christmas period, check out our tops tips here on some fun activities you can do with your pupper.