Holiday season or not, dogs tend to beg around kitchen counters pretty often. But did you know a whole bunch of human foods are toxic to them? Here are 15 foods that are absolutely off-limits for dogs - and what to do if you suspect they've eaten something they shouldn't have.
Dogs are not picky eaters. They’ll wait for dinner table scraps or eagerly lick your plate. They’ll eat nearly anything. But what can dogs not eat? Beware – many foods that are safe for humans are not safe for dogs to eat. These toxic foods for dogs can cause serious illness in dogs and require emergency treatment if your buddy eats them. So let’s explore which foods your dog must avoid to stay safe and healthy – and how tracking their activity can help you catch on to an illness even if they seem happy and healthy.
Any dog can be at risk for eating food that they shouldn’t. But dogs that are naturally curious, poke their nose into everything, or frequently put things in their mouth are at greater risk. Many times, this might be due to habits or learned behaviors. (Aka, your dog might’ve learned that certain family members are easier to coax into giving them treats than others.)
Small dogs may be at increased risk because lesser quantities of toxic food can cause a severe reaction due to the dog’s tiny size.
You know your dog’s personality and habits best. So it’s up to you as a pet parent to supervise your dog’s behavior at mealtimes, picnics, and family gatherings. Also, make sure to store all toxic foods far away from where your pup can reach.
Should your dog eat the same food as you?
Dogs have nutritional needs that are different than those of humans. Their digestive system and teeth are adapted to an omnivorous diet, which means they can eat both plant and animal foods. (Unlike cats who are obligate carnivores instead.)
Dogs can eat some types of human food – like some fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meat – in small quantities. But feeding your dog only table scraps will probably not meet your dog’s nutritional needs. In fact, in some cases, you might accidentally feed your dog something that might even harm them! As a bonus, if you stop offering table scraps, your dog will stop begging at mealtime.
Commercial or homemade dog food that meets the nutritional needs of your dog is better than table scraps. It includes the essential vitamins and minerals needed for your pup’s optimum health. And, you can be sure that it is safe for your pup to eat.
What can dogs NOT eat? Top 15 toxic foods for dogs
Human food is for people, not dogs. Many foods that we humans consume every day can cause vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems, seizures, or even death in dogs, depending on the size of your dog and how much toxic food they eat. To keep your furry friend safe, become familiar with foods dogs cannot eat.
1. Coffee, tea, & other caffeinated beverages
You may need a caffeine jolt in the morning, but your dog does not. If your dog consumes large quantities of caffeinated coffee, tea, soda pop, or energy drinks, they can suffer from caffeine poisoning.
Symptoms of caffeine poisoning in dogs include heart palpitations, rapid breathing, muscle tremors, and restlessness. If you’ve gulped too many double espressos in one sitting, you understand what we mean. If your pup likes to poke around in the trash, be careful how you dispose of coffee grounds.
2. Chocolate
Many people are already aware that dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate, but do you know why? Chocolate contains theobromine, a substance that can cause tremors, abnormal heartbeat, seizures, and death in dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains.
While you can safely enjoy this sweet treat, chocolate is off limits for your dog.
3. Onions and garlic
Onions and garlic contain sulfoxides and disulphides, which can damage your dog’s red blood cells and cause anemia. Symptoms of anemia include weakness, pale gums, lack of appetite, and dullness. The risk applies to all forms of onion and garlic, including raw, cooked, powdered, or dehydrated.
Don’t think your dog is likely to eat garlic or an onion? Make sure they aren’t nibbling on tidbits that fall to the floor while you chop veggies for dinner. Onion and garlic powder are present in many processed foods – even some baby foods – so always read labels carefully. Onions and garlic are part of the lily family, so other related plants such as leeks and scallions are also poisonous for dogs.
4. Grapes & raisins
Grapes and raisins are a healthy snack, right? Maybe for you, but definitely not for your dog. These sweet treats are highly toxic to dogs and can cause sudden kidney failure and death. Even one grape or raisin can cause symptoms that require immediate medical attention. Avoid keeping fresh grapes in your tabletop fruit bowl to reduce the risk of tragedy for your pup.
Raisins are dried grapes, so they are just as harmful to your dog as fresh grapes. Beware of raisins hiding in cookies and other treats that might tempt your dog.
5. Milk and dairy products
Dairy products contain lactose, which can only be digested by an enzyme called lactase. Most dogs don’t have sufficient lactase in their bodies to digest lactose. If dogs eat cheese, milk, yogurt, or ice cream, they may suffer from gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea (similar to what lactose-intolerant humans experience if they consume dairy products).
Watch for milk or milk products in prepared foods such as pizza, whipped cream, or milk shakes.
6. Raw meat, eggs, and fish
This warning applies to people and dogs: Raw meat or fish can contain bacteria that cause food poisoning. Some raw meats and fish contain parasites (these are killed during the cooking process).
In addition to raw meat or fish, avoid feeding your dog bacon, bacon grease, and fat trimmings from meat or bones. The large amount of fat in these foods can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or even pancreatitis, which is a potentially deadly inflammation of the pancreas.
Bones are choking hazards. Bones can splinter and puncture a dog’s digestive tract. Choose synthetic chew toys instead. (Or cooked bones.)
Raw eggs are a no-no for your pup. Raw eggs can contain salmonella, which is poisonous to dogs and humans. Salmonella poisoning from raw eggs can cause fever, vomiting, lethargy, and dehydration.
Cooked eggs, offered in moderation, can be a good source of protein for your dog but do not cook the eggs in butter or oil and do not add salt.
7. Spicy food
Blazing-hot spicy food can do a number on your dog’s digestive system, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach ulcers. Resist the urge to share your habanero hot wings with your furry friend.
8. Salt
Salt, on its own or in prepared foods, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and seizures if consumed by your dog. Salt is everywhere, in chips, pretzels, and many packaged foods. If your dog eats too much salt, it can alter the fluid balance in their body and lead to complications.
Watch for salt in unexpected places, such as homemade play-dough or rock salt used to de-ice the driveway. (Especially in the winter months, as this salt can hurt your dog’s paws.)
9. Macadamia nuts, almonds, & pistachios
Tree nuts in general are not a good choice for dogs to eat. Some, like macadamia nuts, are toxic to dogs. As few as six macadamia nuts can cause poisoning in a dog. Watch for macadamia nuts baked into cookies or other treats that might tempt your pup.
Other nuts, including almonds and pistachios, can be a choking hazard for dogs because of their size and hardness.
Products made from peanuts, on the other hand, are generally OK for dogs to eat in moderation. Natural peanut butter with no salt or sweetener added is a great treat for dogs. Smear peanut butter on a favorite chew toy and watch your pup enjoy a bit of doggie heaven.
Never let your dog eat wild mushrooms when you are outdoors hiking or exploring. It’s just too risky unless you are the world’s foremost expert on mushroom identification.
On the other hand, washed white mushrooms from the grocery store might be OK for your dog, but it may be safer to offer different treat to your pup.
A ripe summer tomato from the garden is irresistible – and OK for your dog to eat. However, green, unripe tomatoes can be highly toxic to your dog if eaten. Unripe tomatoes and the green leaves of tomato plants contain solanine, which can cause gastrointestinal problems in dogs.
Potatoes are in the same family as tomatoes. Raw potatoes are off-limits for dogs, but fully cooked potatoes with nothing added are safe for your pooch to eat. This might include the French fry you dropped as you pulled out of the drive-thru.
Do you bake fresh bread at home? This is a potential problem for your dog if they eat the bowl of raw yeast dough rising on the countertop. Any item containing raw yeast, such as bread dough, can expand inside your dog’s belly and cause extreme bloating and severe pain. Plus, as the yeast ferments in your dog’s belly, it produces alcohol, which presents another serious problem.
13. Anything with Xylitol
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener present in many human foods. Candy, gum, diet foods, diet soda, yogurt, peanut butter, and baked goods may be sweetened with xylitol, and you won’t know it unless you read the label. Xylitol can cause low blood sugar, seizures, and liver failure in dogs.
14. Tobacco & nicotine products
Some dogs eat just about anything, including tobacco. If you use nicotine in any form, keep it away from your dog. A cigarette left on the table, a full ashtray, chewing tobacco, nicotine gum, or the contents of vaping cartridges can be dangerous if eaten by your pup.
Nicotine can cause vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, agitation, seizures, tremors, and weakness if it is consumed by your dog. Frequent exposure to nicotine can result in coma or death.
15. Alcohol
Although not technically a food, alcohol is often served alongside human food and is a potential problem if consumed by your pet. Allowing your dog to take a sip of wine or lick up spilled drinks may seem cute at the time, but alcohol can cause medical problems such as rapid drops in body temperature, seizures, respiratory failure, or even death.
What to do if your dog eats something they shouldn’t have
Despite our best efforts, dogs eat things that they shouldn’t. So be prepared to act quickly should an emergency arise.
Stay informed on what dogs can’t eat. (Especially these 15 toxic foods you find in kitchens around the world.) Try to keep them out of your home or stored in a place that’s inaccessible to your pup.
Stay in contact. Add the phone numbers for your veterinarian’s office, the local emergency animal clinic, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center to your phone contact list today. So you don’t waste valuable time searching for who to call when an emergency happens.
Stay calm if your dog accidentally eats something they shouldn’t have. Try to identify the exact type of food consumed. Contact your veterinarian or the local emergency animal clinic if it’s after hours. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is available 24 hours a day to offer advice if you suspect your dog has eaten a toxic substance. A consultation fee applies to these calls.
Don’t just do it yourself – always get help for a suspected case of poisoning in your dog. For example, you may think it’s a good idea to induce vomiting if your dog eats toxic food, but that may be the exact wrong thing to do depending on what your dog has eaten.
After receiving treatment for poisoning, your dog may need to be on a special diet as they recover. White rice with no butter, oil, or salt can be a good starter food for your dog’s recovery. (Because it’s bland and easy for your dog’s digestive system to handle.) Your veterinarian will make specific dietary recommendations for your dog’s recovery.
Signs of food poisoning in dogs
We’ve covered how certain foods can result in different symptoms for your dog. So here are some of the signs of food poisoning from WebMD1, if you suspect your buddy’s eaten something they shouldn’t have.
Gastrointestinal symptoms, like vomiting, diarrhea, or cramping.
Panting and salivating
Excessive thirst
General signs of malaise, like nausea and dizziness
In other, scarier cases – your dog might actually seem completely normal and healthy, while still struggling with illness or discomfort.
For example, if you have an active dog who’s always ready for a run, it’s easy to miss out on a spike in their regular activity.
Or if your dog is more on the “chill” side or if you have a senior dog at home, you might miss out on a drop in their movement completely.
💡Which is why vets recommend regular activity tracking to stay on top of your dog’s daily movement. And which can actually help save your dog’s life.
Track your dog’s activity to pre-empt a health condition – before it worsens
A change in your dog’s activity levels is usually a more subtle sign they might be sick. So if your dog seems more lethargic or hyperactive than usual, it might indicate a health condition. But the problem is: how do you keep track of these behaviors? Over time, it can get tedious noting down how active your dog has been all day – especially when they might be wandering around outdoors or you’re busy with work and chores.
Your Tractive device comes with a built-in motion detector and accelerometer, which picks up on your dog’s movements throughout the day.
So with just a glance at your phone, you can quickly and easily identify if your dog’s activity level has changed.
Tractive’s Activity Tracking features help you monitor whether your dog’s gotten enough exercise – or catch on to a dip or a spike in their activity early on. (And take them to a vet for a preventive checkup.)
“Evi, my PTSD dog was the first to try it out. And after three and a half weeks of using, and finally really trusting the data that Tractive gave me, I found out she was sick before I could even really see it.
Her sleep quality suddenly drastically decreased from around 90% to 60% and her active minutes dropped by about 50 a day.
So even though she still looked happy and healthy, my Tractive device stated otherwise.
So I went to the vet with this information. They took me and Tractive seriously…and it turned out she had the beginning of an infection in her ears!
My Tractive GPS is a part of my primary gear now – and I don’t want it any other way.“
“It can be easy to miss out on changes in your dog’s or cat’s regular activity – or just if they’re on the move more or less than usual. So we’ve set up Activity Degradation alerts for when your pet’s active minutes drop significantly. They can help you intervene in a situation where your pet might be struggling with an infection or even just pain.”
– Sebastian Raab, Product Manager at Tractive & occasional pet-sitter
Besides, your trusty Tractive device also helps you mark out “danger zones” – and broadcast them to other pet parents.
Which might include areas in your vicinity that have:
Mushrooms
Poisonous plants
Poison bait
Wild animals
Animal traps
…and anything you’d rather your dog doesn’t run into – or take a bite out of when outdoors
Helping you both keep your buddy safe – and do your part as a responsible pet parent.
Keep your dog on a healthy diet – and live a longer, happier life together
Though it’s scary to contemplate all the forbidden foods that your dog could accidentally eat, there are plenty of healthy foods for your dog to enjoy.
Start with a commercial or homemade wet or dry diet that meets all of your dog’s nutritional needs.
Then use commercial or homemade treats for a reward when your pup follows obedience commands or is just an all-around good dog.
Some human foods that are safe to use as treats include green beans, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, zucchini slices, apple slices (without the core & seeds), blueberries, and peeled bananas.
And remember, all treats are best offered in moderation.
By keeping your pup on a healthy diet and away from toxic foods, you and your furry friend will spend time enjoying adventures together instead of worrying about their health!
Still curious what foods dogs can and can’t eat? Here’s a video covering the basics from Medical Centric:
And if you’ve found this post helpful, share it with a friend – and help build a dog-friendly kitchen together!
Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.
This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.
Dr. Dwight Alleyne, DVM
Dwight Alleyne was born and raised in Long Island, New York where his love of animals began. His career for animals began working for a well-known no-kill animal shelter on Long Island.
He worked his way up the career ladder working as a kennel technician, veterinary assistant, and then becoming a licensed veterinary technician at the shelter.
His passion for veterinary medicine led to him applying to and being accepted at Cornell University Veterinary where he graduated from in 2006. After completing a small animal rotating internship at Purdue University, he eventually made his way to Georgia where he has been practicing ever since.
Dr. Alleyne has practiced at several small animal clinics throughout Georgia. He has a keen interest in soft tissue surgery and has extensive experience in performing ultrasounds including echocardiograms.
When he is not practicing medicine, Dr. Alleyne enjoys writing and editing pet health articles and providing pet advice through telehealth.
Dr. Alleyne also has his own blog called “The Animal Doctor Blog.” Check it out on: www.anmldrblog.com.
Approved by Dr. Dwight Alleyne, DVM 
