Can Dogs Eat Stuffing? Why It Is a Skip and What to Give

People ask us can dogs eat stuffing every Thanksgiving, and the answer is no. Stuffing is bread cooked with onion, butter and broth, and several things in it belong on the human side of the table.

The same answer covers dressing, which is just stuffing baked in a dish instead of inside the bird. We make single-ingredient freeze-dried treats in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and we get this question at shows more than almost any other. Below is why stuffing is a skip, what to do if the dog got some, and what to hand over instead.

Can dogs eat stuffing: what is in it

Most stuffing starts with cubes of dried bread. Cooks add chopped onion and celery, melted butter, salt and a good deal of broth, and then sage or other dried herbs. Many recipes also fold in sausage. Some add apples, dried fruit, chestnuts or pecans. The bread soaks it all up, so every bite is seasoned the same way.

That is the problem with sharing a spoonful. There is no plain part to pick out. The American Kennel Club, in its Thanksgiving food guide, writes that its avoid list includes "stuffing; casseroles; mashed potatoes; creamed peas".

Onion, celery and garlic

Onion is the first ingredient in nearly every stuffing recipe, and garlic is common too. The ASPCA writes: "Onion, garlic and chives are members of the Allium species of vegetables." Its list of people foods to avoid includes all of them, and cooking them down in butter does not take them out of the dish.

Celery rides along in the same pan, but the onion cooked beside it is the one that matters here.

Butter, broth and sausage

Butter and broth make stuffing rich and salty, and a dog does not need either one. Sausage stuffing adds fat and seasoning on top, with sage, pepper and often more salt. A fatty, salty spoonful is a lot for a dog that is used to a measured bowl of food. Keep it on your plate.

Raisins, nuts and other extras

This is where recipes vary, and where a single bite can change the answer. Some stuffing carries raisins or dried cranberries. Some carries chopped nuts. The AKC list we mentioned also names raisins and grapes, so a stuffing with raisins in it is a double skip.

Nuts are the same kind of story. The ASPCA writes: "Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, incoordination, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs." Most stuffing uses pecans or walnuts, but nobody at the table knows what is in a neighbor's recipe. If you cannot read the recipe, assume it is not plain.

Bread, dough and the kitchen counter

Bread is only the base, and the dish is more than bread. The part to watch is the rest of the kitchen. The same AKC list names yeast dough, which matters when a tray of rolls is rising on the counter next to the stuffing pan. Keep dough where the dog cannot reach it, and keep the stuffing pan there as well.

Boxed stuffing mix is seasoned bread cubes with the salt and onion flavor already in the bag. Stuffing cooked inside the turkey takes on the drippings from the bird. Neither one is plain.

If the dog got some

It happens. A plate goes down, a hand drops a spoon, or a counter gets cleared while nobody is looking. Take the food away, and find out what was in it: onion, raisins, sausage, nuts. Estimate how much was eaten and keep the recipe or the box handy. Then call your veterinarian and tell them exactly that. They can tell you what to watch for, which is more useful than a guess from an article.

What to hand over instead

If the dog is working the table, plain turkey is the better answer. The AKC writes: "Turkey meat is okay to offer up as long as it has not been prepared with any seasoning." Our turkey guide goes through what counts as plain.

The other option is a treat that belongs to the dog. Freeze-Dried Beef Heart Dog Treats have one ingredient, beef heart, and we freeze-dry it in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It is a firm, medium sized piece that snaps into smaller ones, so you can hand out a lot of small rewards from one bag. It tastes milder than liver, and our scorecard gives it 5 of 5 for training value.

It comes in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounce bags. We list it for adult dogs and puppies of all sizes. The label says to feed it as a treat or meal topper, not a complete diet. It also says to provide fresh water and to supervise while feeding. After you open a bag, reseal it and store it cool and dry. Our Thanksgiving dog treats collection is the place to look for more.

Stuffing questions

Is dressing different from stuffing?

Only in where it cooks. Dressing is baked in a dish and stuffing goes inside the bird, but both are seasoned bread with onion, so the answer is the same for each.

Can a dog have stuffing made without onions?

We would still skip it. It usually has butter, broth and salt, and it is hard to be sure nothing else went in. The AKC names stuffing outright on its avoid list.

What if my dog ate stuffing?

Take it away, work out what was in it and how much was eaten, and use the steps in the section above. Having the recipe in your hand helps.

Is stuffing cooked inside the turkey any different?

No. It soaks up the drippings and carries the same onion and butter as the kind baked in a dish, so it stays on your plate.

Is boxed stuffing mix any better?

No. Boxed mix is dried bread cubes with seasoning already added, and the directions usually call for butter and broth on top.

What can I give my dog at Thanksgiving instead?

Plain turkey with no seasoning, or a treat made for dogs. Keep each portion small and the dog's food apart from the family's.