Thanksgiving foods dogs can and can't eat

Small amounts of plain, cooked, skinless, boneless turkey are a good choice. Plain cooked sweet potato, plain green beans, plain cooked or canned pumpkin and a few plain cranberries are fine too, and plain cooked potato in small amounts. Plain means no butter, gravy, salt, onion, garlic or sugar. Keep portions small, because even suitable foods can upset a dog's stomach when they are new.

Yes, plain cooked turkey that is skinless and boneless is a safe, lean treat for dogs in small amounts. The skin, drippings and gravy are fatty and can trigger pancreatitis, and holiday seasoning often includes onion and garlic, which are toxic to dogs. Never share raw or undercooked turkey. If your dog vomits, has belly pain or stops eating after a rich meal, call your vet.

No. Cooked turkey bones are brittle and splinter into sharp pieces that can choke a dog or cut the mouth, throat, stomach or intestines. They can also block the gut. If your dog ate turkey bones or raided the carcass, call your vet now. Do not induce vomiting at home or give any home remedy; leave that decision to your veterinarian. Watch for vomiting, straining, a painful belly, bloody stool or lethargy, and report them.

Stuffing is best kept off your dog's plate. Most recipes contain onions, garlic, leeks or chives, which damage a dog's red blood cells, along with butter and fatty drippings. Some add raisins or nuts, which bring their own risks. Plain bread is fine in small amounts, but stuffing is not plain bread. If your dog ate a portion, call your vet and have the recipe ready.

Plain cooked potato is safe for most dogs in small amounts, but holiday mashed potatoes usually contain butter, cream, cheese, salt and often garlic. Garlic is toxic to dogs, and the fat and dairy can cause vomiting, diarrhea or pancreatitis. Raw or green potato contains solanine and should never be shared. Set aside a spoonful of plain potato before you season the dish.

Pumpkin pie is not a good dog treat. Plain pumpkin is safe for dogs, but pie adds sugar, fat, dairy and spices such as nutmeg, and the crust is rich and buttery. Some sugar-free recipes use xylitol, which can cause dangerously low blood sugar quickly. If your dog ate pie, call your vet, and say straight away if the recipe was sugar-free.

Onions, garlic, leeks and chives, grapes, raisins and currants, chocolate, macadamia nuts, xylitol, alcohol and raw yeast dough are toxic or dangerous to dogs. Cooked bones, fatty skin, drippings and gravy are risky, and pecans are best avoided because of their fat and the mold they can carry. If your dog eats any of these, call your vet or a poison line rather than waiting for signs.

Yeast keeps working in a dog's warm stomach. The dough expands, which can stretch the stomach painfully, and fermentation produces alcohol that is absorbed into the blood. Signs can include a bloated belly, retching, wobbliness, weakness, low body temperature and seizures. Raw dough is an emergency. Call your vet or an emergency clinic now, even if your dog seems normal at first.

Ham is best avoided. It is not toxic, but it is very salty and fatty, and glazes add sugar and sometimes other ingredients. Rich, fatty meals are a common cause of pancreatitis in dogs after the holidays. Ham bones can splinter and block the gut, so never leave them out for your dog. Call your vet if your dog ate a large amount or a bone.

A few bites of plain cooked turkey with no skin, bones or seasoning are a safe treat for a cat. Onions and garlic are toxic to cats, so skip stuffing, gravy and seasoned sides. Lilies in a centerpiece are an emergency for cats. If your cat swallows roasting string or netting, go to a vet now and never pull on a visible strand.