Foods and things that can hurt your dog
Every dog owner should know this list. Save it, share it with everyone who feeds your dog, and keep the poison lines in your phone.
🚨 If your dog ate something dangerous
Call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic right away, even if your dog seems fine. Do not make your dog vomit unless a professional tells you to. Tell them what, how much and when.
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Find a 24/7 emergency vetCan be life-threatening
- Chocolate and cocoaContains theobromine and caffeine. Dark chocolate and baking cocoa are the worst. Signs: vomiting, restlessness, fast heartbeat, tremors, seizures.
- Grapes, raisins, currantsCan cause sudden kidney failure, even in small amounts. The cause is still unknown, so treat every amount as an emergency. Signs: vomiting, lethargy, less urine.
- Xylitol (sugar-free sweetener)Found in sugar-free gum, candy, some peanut butters, baked goods and toothpaste. Causes a dangerous drop in blood sugar and can damage the liver. Always check labels.
- Onions, garlic, chives, leeksRaw, cooked or powdered. They damage red blood cells and can cause anemia. Signs may appear a few days later: weakness, pale gums.
- Cannabis and ediblesVery common in LA. THC is toxic to dogs, and edibles often also contain chocolate. Signs: stumbling, drooling, dribbling urine, vomiting, slow heart rate. Be honest with the vet, it helps them treat your dog.
- Alcohol and raw yeast doughAlcohol poisons dogs quickly. Raw dough keeps rising in the stomach and produces alcohol. Keep drinks and rising bread out of reach.
- Coffee, tea, energy drinksCaffeine (also in coffee grounds and tea bags) overstimulates the heart and nerves: restlessness, fast heartbeat, tremors.
- Human medicineIbuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen (Tylenol), antidepressants and ADHD pills are dangerous. Never give a human medicine unless your vet tells you to.
- Sago palm and oleanderCommon garden plants in LA. Sago palm (especially the seeds) can cause liver failure; oleander harms the heart. Do not let your dog chew garden plants.
Risky, so avoid
- Macadamia nutsCan cause weakness, vomiting, tremors and fever. Other nuts are high in fat and can upset the stomach, and salted or spiced nuts are worse.
- Cooked bonesCooked bones (especially poultry) splinter and can hurt the mouth, throat or gut. Ask your vet which chews are safe.
- Fatty scraps, bacon, turkey skinRich fatty foods can cause pancreatitis (very painful): vomiting, belly pain, no appetite. Holiday leftovers are a classic trigger.
- Avocado (pit and skin)The flesh is mostly mild for dogs but fatty. The big pit is a choking and blockage risk. Skip it.
- Fruit pits, apple seeds, corn cobsPits and corn cobs can block the gut. Peach, plum and cherry pits and apple seeds also contain traces of cyanide compounds. Remove them first.
- Salty snacks and salt doughToo much salt causes thirst, vomiting and in bad cases seizures. Craft dough and play dough are very salty.
- Raw meat, eggs and fishCan carry Salmonella and other bacteria. Raw Pacific salmon can carry a parasite that makes dogs very sick. Cook fish and meat thoroughly.
- Nutmeg and heavy spicesNutmeg can cause disorientation, fast heartbeat and seizures in large amounts. Keep spices and spiced baking away from dogs.
🥕 Safe treats (in small amounts)
Introduce new foods slowly and ask your vet if your dog has health problems.
- Carrot sticks
- Blueberries
- Seedless watermelon
- Plain cooked chicken (no skin, no seasoning)
- Plain cooked pumpkin
- Green beans
- Apple slices without seeds
- Peanut butter only if the label has no xylitol
General information, not veterinary advice. When in doubt, call your vet.
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