The encyclopaedia of gravy
Gravy bones are bone-shaped baked dog biscuits with a savoury gravy coating. They contain no real gravy, which is just as well: proper gravy is genuinely dangerous to dogs.
Gravy bones are small, hard, bone-shaped biscuits baked for dogs, with a savoury coating meant to taste of gravy and meat. In Britain the name is almost synonymous with Pedigree Biscrok Gravy Bones, sold in 400 g boxes and in 10 kg sacks for people with either several dogs or one very persuasive one.
They are among the most familiar dog treats in the country, and they are on Gravypedia for two reasons. They carry the name, and they are the safe alternative to the thing people are otherwise tempted to give a dog at Christmas.
⚠️ Real gravy is not a dog treat
Do not give your dog the gravy from your dinner. Nearly all gravy contains onion, which is toxic to dogs, along with a great deal of salt and fat. This is not fussiness — see Gravy and dogs below, and speak to a vet if your dog has eaten some.
What is actually in them¶
Despite the name, a gravy bone contains no gravy. It is a baked cereal biscuit with a meaty, savoury-flavoured coating — the "gravy" is a flavour description, in the same way a gravy-flavoured crisp contains no gravy.
The Pedigree version is described as a crunchy biscuit with a meaty centre and marrowbone, with added omega 3, vitamin E and calcium, and no artificial colours or flavours.
They are also, importantly, biscuits shaped like bones and not bones. Actual cooked bones splinter and are a well-known hazard; a biscuit does not.
How many¶
The manufacturer's guidance for the standard biscuits runs roughly by size of dog:
| Dog | Weight | Biscuits per day |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 5–10 kg | up to 2 |
| Medium | 10–25 kg | up to 3 |
| Large | 25 kg and over | up to 7 |
The usual veterinary advice on top of that is the ten per cent rule: treats of any kind should make up no more than about a tenth of a dog's daily calories, with the rest coming from proper food. Treats are not dinner, and a dog that has talked you into six biscuits should have a slightly smaller meal.
Gravy and dogs¶
This is the part that matters. Every year vets see dogs that have been given the leftovers of a roast dinner, gravy and all.
Onion and garlic¶
Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives all belong to the Allium family, and all are toxic to dogs. They contain sulphur compounds that damage red blood cells and can cause a life-threatening anaemia.
They remain toxic cooked, and dried or powdered forms are more concentrated and therefore worse. That is a direct problem for gravy:
| In the gravy | Why it is a problem |
|---|---|
| Onion gravy | Made almost entirely of the toxic ingredient |
| Any pan gravy with a trivet | Onion and garlic roasted under the joint go into the gravy |
| Gravy granules | Contain onion powder — concentrated, and very salty |
| Stock cubes | Same, plus a great deal of salt |
| Stuffing | Onion again, usually in quantity |
Gravypedia's own beef stock and chicken stock recipes all start with onion, carrot and celery. That makes them excellent stock and unsuitable for dogs.
Salt¶
Gravy is salty by design, and gravy made from granules or cubes especially so. Too much salt causes vomiting and diarrhoea and, in quantity, far more serious effects.
Fat¶
Rich, fatty food can trigger pancreatitis, a painful and sometimes fatal inflammation of the pancreas. Vets see a spike in cases around Christmas, and a jug of gravy made from the fat of a roast is exactly the kind of thing that causes it.
If your dog has eaten gravy¶
Ring your vet, or an out-of-hours service, and tell them what and roughly how much. Do not wait for symptoms — with allium poisoning, signs such as lethargy, pale gums, weakness or discoloured urine can take days to appear, and treatment works best early.
A gravy your dog can have¶
If you want to give a dog something gravy-shaped — poured over kibble, or to tempt a fussy eater — the answer is plain, unsalted meat stock with no onion, garlic or other allium in it.
The easiest way to get some is to take it before you season anything:
- When you simmer a carcass or bones, draw off a cupful before the onion, celery and seasoning go in — see chicken stock.
- Or simmer a handful of plain meat or bones in water on their own for twenty minutes, and cool it.
- Skim the fat off thoroughly, as you would for a gravy you intended to eat — see straining and skimming gravy. Dogs need the fat removed more than you do.
- Serve a spoonful over their normal food, at room temperature.
No salt, no stock cube, no gravy browning, no onion, no thickening. Commercial dog gravies and broths made for the purpose are also widely sold and are formulated to be safe.
💡 Chef's tip
The freezer trick works here too. Freeze the unsalted, allium-free stock in an ice-cube tray and drop one into the dog's bowl. It is the same make-ahead logic as make-ahead gravy, for a smaller and hairier customer.
Christmas dinner for a dog¶
Since this is when it usually goes wrong — see gravy for christmas dinner for the human version.
| Usually fine, plain and in small amounts | Keep well away |
|---|---|
| Turkey or chicken meat, no skin, no bones | Gravy |
| Plain carrot, green beans, swede | Stuffing, and anything with onion |
| Plain boiled or mashed potato, no butter or salt | Pigs in blankets, sausages, bacon |
| A gravy bone or two | Cooked bones of any kind |
| Christmas pudding, mince pies (raisins and currants) | |
| Chocolate, alcohol, anything with xylitol |
A note on authority¶
Gravypedia writes about gravy, not veterinary medicine. Everything above is drawn from published guidance by British animal charities and veterinary services, cited below. If in doubt, ring a vet — they would far rather take a precautionary call than a late one.
Sources¶
- Onion and garlic poisoning in dogs — PDSA
- Christmas dinner and dogs — PDSA
- Foods poisonous to dogs — Blue Cross
- Pancreatitis in dogs — PDSA
- Is your dog's Christmas dinner on the naughty or nice list? — Vets Now
- Christmas dangers for pets — RSPCA
- PEDIGREE Biscrok Gravy Bones — product information