How much do you love the smell of Thanksgiving dinner cooking? Baked turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, rolls, fresh-baked homemade pies — oh my! With all those delicious smells filling the house, it seems to take forever for dinner to be ready to eat! But, when it’s all done, you get to enjoy all the sweet and savory tastes of all those wonderful foods!

No doubt your Chihuahua has been hanging out in the kitchen all day because he can’t wait to gobble down all that delicious food too! When he is looking up at you with those big, black, pleading eyes, you may be tempted to give him a bite or two of everything.

Before that day comes, however, you need to be aware of the dangers of some of those foods for your Chihuahua. You don’t want the beautiful day filled with food, family, and fun to be ruined with a sick dog or worse, an emergency trip to the vet!

Don’t Feed Your Dog These 10 Common Thanksgiving Foods

1. Turkey, Turkey Skin and Bones

Although plain cooked turkey in itself is safe for dogs, even good for them and rich in nutrients that dogs need, Thanksgiving turkey is rarely cooked plain.

When we cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, we rub the bird with butter and oils. We season them with salt and pepper, herbs, and spices. We stuff them with stuffing, onions, garlic, and more herbs. To us that makes the turkey delicious! But to your Chihuahua, it is a recipe for a digestive upset at the very least, or worse, pancreatitis which is a serious illness requiring a trip to the vet and an expensive vet bill. Pancreatitis can is potentially fatal!

Turkey skin is fatty and can cause gastrointestinal issues and inflammation in the pancreas, possibly leading to pancreatitis. Dogs love bones, but chicken and turkey bones can splinter off in the esophagus or intestines, requiring surgery to remove, not to mention they are a choking hazard.

2. Gravy, Trimmings, And Other Fatty Foods

Any food that is high in fat — butter, gravy, drippings, bacon, potatoes, dressing, stuffing — may also cause gastrointestinal issues, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. Not a fun Thanksgiving for you or your Chihuahua!

3. Stuffing

Stuffing contains garlic, onions, scallions, and other ingredients that are very toxic to dogs. They can cause anemia, which is the destruction of red blood cells. This can be life-threatening.

4. Ham

Ham and other pork can cause pancreatitis, and aforementioned stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea. Because of the high-fat content, it can lead to obesity in dogs. Even a very small amount of ham can add a very large amount of calories to a small Chihuahua or other small breeds.

5. Corn On The Cob

A few whole corn kernels are fine, in fact, nutritious for dogs — as long as they are not allergic to corn. However, corn on the cob is a whole different story. Besides the corn, they will also be ingesting part of the cob. Corn cob is difficult for dogs to digest and could cause a bowel obstruction that may require surgery.

6. Garlic and Onions

As already mentioned, garlic and onions can cause severe anemia. The symptoms may not show up for a few days when your Chihuahua will become very weak. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness.

7. Grapes and Raisins

Grapes and raisins are very toxic to dogs and can cause renal failure. If you even suspect that your Chihuahua ate a grape or a raisin — yes, all it takes is one — take them to the vet immediately to prevent kidney failure. Keep your Chihuahua far away from any desserts or salads that may contain grapes or raisins!

8. Chocolate

Most of us know that chocolate is dangerous for dogs to eat. But do you know why? Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is easily metabolized in humans. Dogs, not so much. 

How dangerous chocolate may be, depends on the type of chocolate and how much your dog weighs. You will find a chocolate calculator here >>. Chocolate can cause an increased heart rate or seizures in dogs.