Guide: toxic foods for dogs
Toxic Foods for Dogs: What Puppies Must Never Eat
Toxic foods for dogs include chocolate, grapes and raisins, the sweetener xylitol, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts and alcohol. Puppies are at extra risk, because they are small and they taste everything. If your puppy eats any of these, do not wait for symptoms. Instead, call your vet or a poison control line straight away.
The most dangerous toxic foods for dogs
| Food | What it can do |
|---|---|
| Chocolate, coffee and caffeine | Vomiting, diarrhea, panting, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures. Darker chocolate is worse. |
| Grapes and raisins | Kidney damage |
| Xylitol | A rapid drop in blood sugar, and possibly liver damage |
| Onions, garlic and chives | Stomach upset and damage to red blood cells, leading to anemia |
| Macadamia nuts | Weakness, wobbliness, vomiting and tremors, usually within 12 hours |
| Alcohol | Vomiting, loss of coordination, breathing trouble, and coma in severe cases |
| Raw yeast dough | Painful bloating as the dough rises in the stomach |
This list follows the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA).
Why small puppies are at greater risk
Poisoning depends on dose for body weight. An amount that would barely bother a Labrador can be serious for a three-pound puppy. In addition, puppies chew first and think later.
Therefore, owners of toy and small breeds need to be stricter than most. A single dropped raisin or a stick of sugar-free gum is worth a phone call.
Hidden sources
- Xylitol: sugar-free gum and mints, some peanut butters, baked goods, toothpaste and chewable vitamins. It is sometimes listed as “birch sugar”.
- Raisins: trail mix, cereal, cookies and bagels.
- Onion and garlic: gravy, soups, seasoning powders and some baby foods.
- Chocolate: baking chocolate, cocoa powder and brownies.
- Handbags and backpacks. Gum, mints and medication at puppy height are a common cause of poisoning.
What to do when dogs eat toxic foods
- Take the food away, and note what it was and how much is missing.
- Call your vet, an emergency clinic or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.
- Have the details ready: your dog’s weight, the product label and the time it was eaten.
- Do not make your dog vomit unless a professional tells you to.
- Go in if advised. Early treatment is far more effective.
Safe treats instead
For training, use pieces of your puppy’s own kibble, or tiny bits of a treat made for puppies. Keep all treats to a small share of the day’s food, so meals stay balanced. See our puppy feeding schedule.
In addition, tell children and visitors the house rule: nothing from the table.
Toxic foods for dogs at holidays and parties
Most poisonings happen when routines break. Chocolate at Easter and Halloween, raisins in holiday baking, sugar-free candy and unattended drinks are the usual culprits. So give your puppy a quiet room during parties, and ask guests to keep bags off the floor.
For the rest of the house, see puppy proofing and our advice on a Christmas puppy.
Related guides
- Puppy Vaccine Schedule and Deworming: What Is Done Before Go-Home and What Comes Next
- Collapsing Trachea in Dogs: Signs, Triggers and Management
- Reverse Sneezing in Dogs: What It Is and What to Do
- Dog Ear Infections: Signs, Causes and Prevention
- Heartworm Prevention for Puppies: Why to Start by 8 Weeks
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