Can Dogs Eat Christmas Cake? No: Dried Fruit, Alcohol and Nuts
Quick answer
No. PDSA says mince pies and Christmas cake both contain raisins, sultanas and currants, which are highly toxic to pets. Blue Cross says the same dried fruits can cause severe kidney failure in dogs, and that alcohol has a similar effect on dogs as it does on their owners.
Taken from this page and its sources. Not veterinary advice. If your pet has already eaten some and seems unwell, see who to call.
Has your dog already eaten some? Phone your vet, an emergency vet or your national animal poison line now, even if your dog seems fine. Keep the packet or recipe, and note roughly how much was eaten and when. Find an emergency vet · What the vet will ask
This page is not veterinary advice. Paw Multiverse is not a veterinary practice. We cannot examine, diagnose or treat your animal. There are no doses here, no portion sizes, no feeding amounts and no treatment steps, on purpose. If your pet has eaten something you are worried about, or has changed in a way you cannot explain, ring your vet or your nearest emergency clinic and let them decide. Full disclaimer.
Christmas cake is made weeks ahead, fed with brandy and left on the side under a tea towel. Every layer of it is on a warning list.
On this page (7 sections)
What is published
PDSA says Christmas cake and mince pies “contain raisins, sultanas and currants, which are highly toxic to pets.” Source: PDSA, Fatal foods for furry friends this Christmas (16 December 2021).
Blue Cross lists Christmas pudding and mince pies among the foods that can cause severe kidney failure if eaten, because of the grapes, currants, sultanas and raisins in them, and Christmas cake is made from the same fruit. Source: Blue Cross, Christmas dangers for dogs (reviewed 22 November 2022).
Why a slice, or a crumb, still counts
The grape family has its own page here, because no publisher can say in advance which dog will be badly affected: can dogs eat grapes. If your dog has eaten any Christmas cake, phone your vet now, even if it seems well.
The brandy
Christmas cake is often fed with brandy or other spirits for weeks. Blue Cross says alcohol has a similar effect in dogs as it does in their owners, and lists it among the Christmas foods to keep away from dogs. Source: Blue Cross, Christmas dangers for dogs (reviewed 22 November 2022).
Marzipan and nuts
Marzipan is made from almonds, and many cakes carry nuts. The ASPCA says nuts, including almonds, contain high amounts of oils and fats. More: can dogs eat almonds and macadamia nuts. Source: ASPCA, People foods to avoid feeding your pets.
What we could not source for this page
- No publisher we read gives an amount of Christmas cake, dried fruit or brandy that is safe for a dog, and neither do we.
- No publisher we read addresses icing or royal icing on its own.
Where these facts come from
- PDSA, Fatal foods for furry friends this Christmas (16 December 2021), read 6 November 2026.
- Blue Cross, Christmas dangers for dogs (reviewed 22 November 2022), read 6 November 2026.
- ASPCA, People foods to avoid feeding your pets, read 6 November 2026.
Sources last checked 6 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Where to go next
Every food on this site is on the dog food colour chart, and the whole holiday table is on Thanksgiving pet safety and Christmas pet safety. If your dog has already eaten something, go to my dog ate something and the poison control directory.
