Foods dogs should not eat: the full list and what to do if they eat one

Key points

• Xylitol, grapes and raisins, chocolate, onion and garlic, alcohol and raw yeast dough are the most dangerous.
• Toxicity depends on the dose and the dog's weight: what upsets a 40 kg (90 lb) dog can be serious for a 5 kg (11 lb) one.
• Many toxic foods are hidden in broths, sauces, sugar-free baked goods, gum and ready meals.
• If your dog has eaten something toxic, call the vet even if they seem fine: some symptoms take hours to show.
• Don't make your dog vomit on your own, whether with salt water or hydrogen peroxide.

Some of the foods dogs should not eat are the most ordinary things in our kitchens: the onion in a sauce, the grapes in the fruit bowl, the sugar-free gum in a purse, the chocolate in a snack drawer. Some cause a passing upset; others, like xylitol or grapes, can lead to liver or kidney failure in small amounts.

In this guide you'll find the full list in a table, with the compound responsible and how serious it is, a section on where these foods hide (broths, sauces, baked goods) and what to do if your dog has eaten something on the list. Each food links to its own page, where we explain doses, symptoms and nuances.

Table of foods that are toxic to dogs

Severity is a rough guide: it depends on the amount, the size of the dog and individual sensitivity. Tap each food to see its full page.

Food	Compound or mechanism	Severity	What it can cause
Xylitol (E967)	Triggers a release of insulin	Severe	Low blood sugar within 15-60 minutes, seizures, liver failure
Grapes and raisins	Probably tartaric acid	Severe	Acute kidney failure, no known safe dose
Chocolate and cocoa	Theobromine and caffeine	Severe	Vomiting, racing heart, tremors, seizures; the darker, the worse
Onion, garlic and leek	Sulfur compounds (thiosulfates, disulfides)	Severe	Anemia from destroyed red blood cells; cumulative effect, raw or cooked
Alcohol	Ethanol	Severe	Central nervous system depression, low blood sugar, hypothermia
Raw yeast dough	Ferments in the stomach and produces ethanol	Severe	Stomach distension and alcohol poisoning
Coffee, tea and energy drinks	Caffeine and other methylxanthines	Severe	Agitation, arrhythmias, tremors
Macadamia nuts	Unknown	Severe	Hind-leg weakness, tremors, fever for 12-48 h
Walnuts	Tremorgenic molds and a lot of fat	Moderate	Tremors if moldy, blockage, pancreatitis
Avocado	Persin (low toxicity in dogs), fat, pit	Moderate	Vomiting, pancreatitis, blockage from the pit
Cooked bones	Mechanical: they splinter	Severe	Perforation, intestinal blockage, severe constipation
Cured ham (jamón) and deli meats and sausages	Salt, fat, garlic and spices	Mild (ham), moderate (sausages and deli meats)	Pancreatitis, excessive thirst, vomiting
Nutmeg	Myristicin	Moderate	Disorientation, racing heart, in large amounts
Cherries (pit, stem and leaves)	Cyanogenic glycosides and the pit	Moderate	Blockage; poisoning if many pits are chewed
Nougat (turrón) and holiday sweets	Sugar, fat, sometimes chocolate or xylitol	Moderate	Pancreatitis; severe if it contains chocolate or xylitol
Brewing hops (plant, pellets or spent hops)	Unknown	Severe	Malignant hyperthermia

Some foods aren't toxic but still aren't a good idea: milk (many dogs don't tolerate lactose), cinnamon and other spices, ice cream or popcorn with salt and butter. If you're unsure about a specific food, look it up in Can my dog eat it?

The five most dangerous, explained

Xylitol

It's the sweetener in "sugar-free" gum, candy and baked goods. In dogs it causes a surge of insulin that sends blood sugar plummeting in under an hour. At somewhat higher doses it damages the liver. A couple of pieces of gum can be enough for a small dog.

Grapes and raisins

The puzzling part is that there's no safe dose: some dogs eat a handful with no problem and others go into kidney failure after a few. That's why they're always treated as an emergency.

Chocolate

The darker it is, the more theobromine. Unsweetened cocoa powder and dark baking chocolate are the most dangerous; milk chocolate less so, but for a small dog a whole bar is a lot.

Onion, garlic and leek

They damage red blood cells, and anemia can appear two to five days later. It doesn't matter whether they're raw, fried or powdered: garlic powder is even more concentrated. And the effect builds up, so small amounts every day also do harm.

Raw yeast dough

A dog's stomach is a perfect proofing oven: the dough keeps rising, distends the stomach, and the yeast produces alcohol. Watch out for bread or pizza dough left to rise on the counter.

Where they hide: the toxic foods you don't see

A dog rarely eats a whole onion. Far more often it reaches them hidden in something that looks harmless:

• Store-bought broth and bouillon cubes: almost all contain onion, garlic and a lot of salt. If you want broth for your dog, simmer meat in plain water with nothing else.
• Sauces and gravies: pasta sauce, meat sauces, garlic mayo, stews and leftovers from the family meal.
• Roast leftovers: chicken or lamb roasted with garlic, and their bones.
• "Sugar-free" or "light" baked goods, cookies and ice cream: they may contain xylitol. Look for "xylitol" or "birch sugar" on the label.
• Gum, candy, throat lozenges and toothpaste: purses and nightstands are danger zones.
• Some peanut butters: most are safe, but always check for xylitol before using peanut butter.
• Raisin bread, breakfast cereals, granola bars and holiday cakes: raisins and chocolate in disguise.
• Baby food: some jars contain onion or garlic.
• Deli meats and sausages: garlic, paprika, salt and fat in the same bite.

If you want to give them something special, a treat made for them is a better idea: there are plenty in our homemade dog treats.

What to do if your dog ate something toxic

1. Remove whatever is left and move your dog away so they can't keep eating.
2. Work out how much they ate and when. Keep the wrapper or label: the cocoa percentage or the grams of xylitol change the outlook a lot.
3. Have your dog's weight handy.
4. Call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet; in the US you can also contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or the Pet Poison Helpline. With that information they'll tell you whether you need to come in and how urgently.
5. Don't make your dog vomit on your own. Salt water can cause sodium poisoning, and hydrogen peroxide irritates the stomach and can be inhaled into the lungs. If vomiting is needed, the vet uses a safe drug.
6. Don't wait for symptoms. Kidney failure from grapes or liver damage from xylitol can take hours or days to show, and treatment works much better early on.

Signs that mean go now: repeated vomiting, tremors, seizures, weakness, pale gums, a swollen or hard belly, rapid breathing or disorientation.

How to cook for your dog safely

In our recipes we work from a whitelist: we only use ingredients we know are safe, and nothing on this list ever appears, not even as optional. If you cook for your dog, cook their food separately, with no salt or seasoning, before you make the family meal. Start with the homemade dog food guide or go straight to a simple recipe like the bland diet.

Frequently asked questions

What fruit can dogs not eat?

Grapes and raisins are the most dangerous fruits for dogs, because they can cause kidney failure with no known safe dose. Also avoid avocado, the pits of cherries, peaches and plums, and citrus in large amounts. Most other fruit (apple, pear, watermelon, banana, blueberries) is safe without seeds or pits and in moderate amounts.

How much chocolate can kill a dog?

It depends on the type of chocolate and the dog's weight. Mild symptoms appear at around 20 mg of theobromine per kilo, heart symptoms at around 40-50 mg/kg and seizures from 60 mg/kg. A 10 kg (22 lb) dog can have severe symptoms from about 50 g (under 2 oz) of dark chocolate. Whatever the amount, call the vet with the wrapper in hand.

Can dogs eat food cooked with a little onion or garlic?

It isn't a good idea, even in small amounts. The compounds in onion and garlic damage red blood cells and the effect builds up, so regularly eating leftovers cooked with onion can end in anemia. A small piece once in a while in a large dog is rarely serious, but it's not a habit to start.

What should I do if my dog ate one grape?

Call your vet, even if it was just one and your dog seems fine. There's no known safe dose of grapes, and some dogs develop kidney failure from very small amounts. If it happened recently, the vet can induce vomiting and protect the kidneys with IV fluids; don't try it at home.

Is bread toxic to dogs?

Ordinary baked bread isn't toxic, although it adds nothing and is fattening. The danger is raw yeast dough, which ferments in the stomach, and breads with raisins, walnuts, chocolate, garlic or onion. A small piece of plain white bread now and then won't hurt a healthy dog.