What Dogs Can and Cannot Eat at Christmas

Written by The Stylish Dog Company.

Last updated 2 October 2026. Guidance drawn from PDSA, Dogs Trust, the RSPCA, the Kennel Club and Animal PoisonLine (Veterinary Poisons Information Service). About a 7 minute read.

A small amount of plain, skinless, boneless white turkey and a spoon of plain boiled vegetables is about all a dog can safely have from a Christmas dinner. Almost everything else on the table is either toxic to dogs (chocolate, anything with raisins in it, stuffing and gravy made with onion, alcohol) or too fatty and salty for them (pigs in blankets, skin, roast potatoes, cheese). The Kennel Club says dogs are 75 per cent more likely to be treated by a vet in December for eating human food that is poisonous to them than in any other month. Here is what is safe, what is not, and what to do if your dog gets to the mince pies first.

In brief

Safe in a small portion: plain white turkey with no skin or bones, and plain boiled carrots, parsnips, green beans, sprouts, broccoli, peas and swede. No butter, salt, oil, glaze or gravy.
Toxic: chocolate, mince pies, Christmas pudding and cake (raisins, sultanas, currants), stuffing, gravy and bread sauce (onion, garlic, leek), alcohol, macadamia nuts, blue cheese, and anything sugar free that contains xylitol.
Dangerous for other reasons: cooked bones splinter and block the gut, fatty leftovers can trigger pancreatitis, mouldy food can cause tremors and fits.
Signs can be delayed by hours or days. Ring the vet when it happens, not when the dog looks ill, and never try to make your dog sick at home.
If you cannot reach a vet, Animal PoisonLine is open 24 hours on 01202 509 000. There is a charge per call.

Jump to a section

What can dogs eat from a Christmas dinner?
Which Christmas foods are toxic to dogs?
Foods that are not poisonous but still dangerous
The hidden ones: advent calendars, tree chocolates and the bin
What to do if your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t
Giving your dog their own Christmas dinner
Frequently asked questions

What can dogs eat from a Christmas dinner?

Less than you would think, but enough for a bowl. PDSA and the RSPCA list the same core of safe foods, with one rule throughout: plain, no fat or seasoning, small portion.

Turkey. Lean white breast meat, plain, with the skin and every bone removed. PDSA notes the dark meat can be too rich. Plain cooked chicken is fine the same way.
Salmon. Cooked and boneless (RSPCA).
Carrots and parsnips. Raw or plain boiled carrots; plain boiled parsnips. No glaze, honey or oil.
Green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, peas. Plain boiled or steamed, no sauce.
Swede. Mashed or chopped. Carrot and swede mash is on PDSA’s list if there is no butter, salt or onion in it.
Potato. Plain boiled or mashed, nothing added (RSPCA). Roast potatoes do not count.

Keep it small (PDSA says a pet sized portion is much smaller than ours, even for a large breed), take it off their normal food that day, and remember the Kennel Club’s point that even “safe” unfamiliar food can cause an upset stomach.

Which Christmas foods are toxic to dogs?

These are the foods PDSA, Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and the Kennel Club warn about, with the signs and timings they give.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine, a stimulant dogs are particularly sensitive to. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine; cocoa powder has more still, and white chocolate has very little but is fatty enough to upset the pancreas. The Kennel Club says signs usually begin around four hours after eating but can take up to 24: vomiting and stomach pain first, then excitability, tremors, a racing heart and fits in serious cases. How much is dangerous depends on the type, the amount and the size of the dog, so keep the packaging for the vet. Animal PoisonLine reports that around 20 per cent of the chocolate cases the VPIS handles in a year come in December. Fatal cases are rare.

Mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, stollen

Anything with raisins, sultanas or currants in it. Grapes and their dried forms can cause kidney failure in dogs, and the Kennel Club says the dried versions are believed to be more toxic than fresh grapes. Nobody knows why, or how much is dangerous: Animal PoisonLine states there is no correlation between the amount eaten and the likelihood of complications. Effects can be delayed by several days. Chocolate covered raisins, fruit cake, mincemeat and panettone carry the same risk.

Stuffing, gravy and bread sauce

Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives all damage a dog’s red blood cells, which can lead to life threatening anaemia. They are toxic cooked or raw, so sage and onion stuffing, onion gravy and bread sauce are out. The Kennel Club says signs may not show for a few days: sickness, diarrhoea, stomach pain, weakness, being off food and rapid breathing.

Alcohol

Dogs are thought to be more sensitive to alcohol than we are. The Kennel Club notes cream and egg based drinks are especially appealing to dogs, and the effects run from drowsiness and wobbliness to low body temperature, low blood sugar, fits and coma.

Macadamia nuts

Why they are poisonous is not known, but they cause weakness (particularly in the back legs), wobbliness, stiffness, vomiting, tremors and a raised temperature, usually within 12 hours and lasting up to two days. Chocolate coated macadamias are a double risk. The RSPCA also lists walnuts, and notes nuts in general are high in fat.

Blue cheese

Blue cheeses contain roquefortine C from the mould that makes them blue. In dogs it can cause muscle tremors and fits lasting up to two days.

Xylitol

A sweetener, sometimes listed as E967, in sugar free gum, mints, sweets, some baked goods and some peanut butters. Dogs Trust explains that it triggers an insulin release and a crash in blood sugar, and can cause liver failure. Signs can start in under an hour or take up to 12. The RSPCA also lists mint sauce, cranberry sauce and nutmeg.

Foods that are not poisonous but still dangerous

Cooked bones

Once cooked, all bones become brittle and splinter. The Kennel Club says a carcass can leave large pieces that block the gut and small pieces that pierce the stomach or intestinal wall, which means surgery. The RSPCA adds choking. Take the carcass straight to the outside bin.

Fatty foods

Pigs in blankets, turkey skin, the fat in the roasting tin, roast potatoes and buttery leftovers. A large, fatty meal can trigger pancreatitis, which the Kennel Club calls very painful, serious and costly to treat. Early signs are vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and stomach pain.

Salty foods, dairy and mouldy leftovers

Gravy, crisps, bacon and cheese are high in salt or fat or both. Mouldy bread, dairy and nuts can carry toxins that cause tremors and fits, so keep the compost caddy sealed and out of reach.

The things around the food

Turkey string, cooking twine, cocktail sticks and chocolate wrappers are not poisonous but can cause an obstruction: vomiting, lethargy, being off food, not pooing or straining to.

A note on health advice. This is general information from UK animal charities, the Kennel Club and the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, not veterinary advice for your dog. Breed, size, age and existing conditions all change what is safe. If your dog has eaten anything on the toxic list, or anything you are unsure about, ring your own vet straight away. Out of hours, call the emergency number on their answerphone, or Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509 000.

The hidden ones: advent calendars, tree chocolates and the bin

A lot of Christmas poisonings start with a dog finding something rather than being given it. The Kennel Club’s list of where chocolate turns up is worth pinning to the fridge: chocolate coins on the tree, advent calendars, boxes of chocolates left out on Christmas Day, and wrapped presents under the tree, because paper does not hide a smell from a dog. PDSA says leave chocolate decorations off the tree; the Kennel Club suggests presents go under it on Christmas Eve night only.

The kitchen bin is the other classic: a carcass in the inside bin overnight is a raid waiting to happen. The third is guests. Tell visitors, especially children, that your dog is not having table food.

What to do if your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t

Ring your vet straight away. Do not wait for signs. The RSPCA says never “watch and wait”.
Do not try to make your dog sick. The Kennel Club and the RSPCA both say never try to make your dog sick, and the RSPCA adds: do not give salt water.
Have the details ready. What they ate (keep the packaging), roughly how much, when, and whether they seem unwell. Take the packaging with you if you go in.
If you cannot reach a vet, Animal PoisonLine is open 24 hours a day on 01202 509 000. It is run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, there is a charge per call (higher out of hours), and they will tell you whether your dog needs to be seen.

Giving your dog their own Christmas dinner

PDSA’s first suggestion is the quiet one: stick to their normal food, and most dogs will be perfectly happy with a new or rediscovered toy and extra time with you. If you want to mark the day, a small bowl of plain white turkey and plain boiled veg from the safe list, with their normal meal reduced to match, is in line with PDSA and RSPCA advice.

The better trick for a busy lunch is to put that small portion inside a stuffable rubber toy. It takes ten minutes instead of ten seconds and keeps them busy under the table. Our dog toys include stuffable rubber toys from puppy size up. For a present rather than a dinner, see our Christmas dog gift ideas.

Key takeaways

Plain white turkey, no skin or bones, plus plain boiled veg, in a small portion, is the safe Christmas dinner for a dog.
Chocolate, dried fruit, onion and garlic, alcohol, macadamias, blue cheese and xylitol are toxic. Cooked bones, fatty leftovers and mouldy food are dangerous for other reasons.
Signs are often delayed by hours or days. Ring the vet when it happens.
Never make your dog sick at home. Keep the packaging, note the time and amount.
Chocolate on the tree, advent calendars, presents under the tree and the kitchen bin are the places to check.

Frequently asked questions

Can dogs eat turkey at Christmas?

Yes, in a small amount. Plain, cooked white breast meat with the skin and all bones removed, and no gravy, salt or seasoning. PDSA advises against the dark meat because it is richer, and says to reduce their normal food that day to balance it.

Can dogs eat roast potatoes, pigs in blankets or stuffing?

No to all three. Roast potatoes and pigs in blankets are too fatty and salty and can trigger pancreatitis. Stuffing almost always contains onion, which is toxic to dogs cooked or raw. Plain boiled or mashed potato with nothing added is fine in a small portion.

My dog ate a mince pie. What do I do?

Ring your vet now, even if your dog seems fine. Mince pies contain raisins, sultanas or currants, which can cause kidney failure in dogs, and there is no known safe amount. Effects can be delayed by several days.

How much chocolate is dangerous for a dog?

It depends on the type of chocolate, how much was eaten and the size of the dog, which is why the charities say to ring the vet rather than guess. Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are the most dangerous. Keep the packaging so the vet can work out the dose.

Are Christmas vegetables safe for dogs?

Most of them, plainly cooked. Carrots, parsnips, green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and swede are on PDSA’s and the RSPCA’s safe lists, as long as there is no butter, oil, glaze, salt or onion involved. Keep the portion small.

Can dogs have the turkey bones or carcass?

No. Cooked bones splinter. The Kennel Club says large pieces can block the gut and small pieces can pierce the stomach or intestine, either of which can mean surgery. Take the carcass to the outside bin straight away.

Who do I call if my vet is closed on Christmas Day?

Your vet’s answerphone will give an out of hours number. If you cannot reach a vet, Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509 000 is open 24 hours a day, every day, and is run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service. There is a fee per call, higher on bank holidays.