Can Dogs Eat Gravy? No: Onion, Salt and Fat
Quick answer
No. Gravy is usually made with what the ASPCA and PDSA warn about at holiday dinners: onion or garlic, which PDSA says can be deadly to dogs and cats; stock cubes high in salt, which the ASPCA says can cause stomach problems and even seizures; and fat, which PDSA lists as a pancreatitis risk.
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.
A spoonful of gravy over a dog’s dinner looks like the most harmless treat on the table. It is usually made from the three ingredients holiday safety advice warns about most.
On this page (7 sections)
What is published
PDSA says: “Stuffing and gravy often contain onion, leeks and garlic, which can be deadly to both cats and dogs.” Source: PDSA, Fatal foods for furry friends this Christmas.
The ASPCA’s Thanksgiving advice names onions and garlic as common in holiday dishes and toxic to pets, and says bouillon cubes used for stock and gravy are high in sodium, which can cause gastrointestinal problems and even seizures. Source: ASPCA, Thanksgiving safety tips.
Why a spoonful on the food is not neutral
PDSA says every part of the onion family stays toxic when cooked or dried, which covers onion powder and granules, and that signs can take one to five days to appear. A dog that seems fine on the evening of the dinner has not shown that it is fine. Source: PDSA, Onion and garlic poisoning in dogs. More: onions.
Granules, cubes and the roasting tin
Gravy granules and stock cubes often list onion or garlic powder and a lot of salt. Gravy made from the roasting tin carries the fat that ran off the meat. PDSA lists recently eating high-fat foods among the things that raise a dog’s risk of pancreatitis. Source: PDSA, Pancreatitis in dogs.
Cats
The ASPCA says cats are more susceptible to the onion family than dogs. Cat owners have their own page on the main course: can cats eat turkey. 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 gravy, onion powder or salt that is safe for a dog, and neither do we.
- No publisher we read describes a gravy recipe as safe for pets; the ASPCA’s Thanksgiving page suggests plain turkey, sweet potato or green beans instead.
Where these facts come from
- PDSA, Fatal foods for furry friends this Christmas, read 6 November 2026.
- ASPCA, Thanksgiving safety tips, read 6 November 2026.
- PDSA, Onion and garlic poisoning in dogs, read 6 November 2026.
- PDSA, Pancreatitis in dogs, 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.
