What Christmas dinner leftovers can dogs eat?

Set aside your dog's portion before anything is buttered, seasoned, or covered in gravy. A reasonable festive plate for a 15 kg (33 lb) dog might be 40 to 50 g of skinless turkey breast, two or three pieces of plain boiled carrot, and a tablespoon of plain boiled potato. Reduce the dog's usual dinner a little to balance the extra calories.

Plain parsnip and Brussels sprouts are not toxic but can cause a lot of gas.

Turkey skin is fatty, and cooked bones splinter. Stuffing and bread sauce usually contain onion. Gravy is fatty and often onion-based. Pigs in blankets combine sausage and bacon, and roast potatoes are cooked in goose or duck fat. Cranberry sauce is sugary but not toxic.

Christmas pudding, mince pies, and Christmas cake contain dried fruit and often alcohol, both of which are dangerous.

Vets see a noticeable rise in stomach upsets, pancreatitis, chocolate poisoning, and swallowed bones over the holidays. Most cases come from guests sharing food, bins being raided, or leftovers left on counters. Rich meals on several days in a row can build up to a problem even if each portion seemed small.

Note the number for your nearest out-of-hours vet before the holidays begin, since many practices close.

Tell visitors early that the dog has its own plate and should not be fed from the table. Give children a small tub of dog treats they are allowed to hand out, so they still feel involved. Place bowls of nuts, chocolates, and sweets on high surfaces rather than coffee tables.

A long-lasting chew in another room during the main meal keeps most dogs settled.

Strip the turkey carcass, put bones and string into a sealed bag, and take it straight to an outdoor bin. Store leftovers in covered containers in the fridge and use them within three days. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and tinsel smell of food after a meal and are regularly swallowed, so clear them away too.