Key points
Chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, xylitol, macadamia nuts, and alcohol are the most dangerous foods for dogs – some can be fatal in small amounts.
If your dog eats something toxic, call your veterinarian, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) right away.
Never induce vomiting unless a veterinarian or poison control professional tells you to.
Most dog parents have experienced the moment when you turn your back for 10 seconds and turn back around to see that your dog has devoured that piece of raw chicken off the countertop. If that just happened to you, you've come to the right place.
Many dog parents think that if they can eat something, their dog can too. As a veterinarian for 35 years, I can tell you that's not the case. Many foods that are harmless to you are toxic to dogs and/or even fatal in very small amounts. Right off the bat, I want you to save these numbers now: ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 and the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661, both answered 24/7.
If you’re asking the question “What can dogs not eat?” keep reading. You'll find a complete list of foods that dogs can't eat as well as the warning signs of poisoning, and the steps to take if you have an emergency.
You'll also find a printable chart entitled “What can dogs eat and not eat” to keep on your refrigerator. I will always remember the day one client called because her dog had just eaten a couple of macadamia nuts, and she was panicking because she had no idea whether she needed to be concerned. Fortunately, her dog pulled through, but after that day she always kept the chart on her fridge.
Print this page to keep on your fridge.
The most dangerous foods for dogs
Searches like “22 foods that can kill your dog” and “20 foods harmful to dogs” turn up long lists; the following six lead to most of the serious emergencies veterinarians see.
Chocolate
Chocolate tops the chart as the number one food I get calls about at the veterinary hotline. There's good reason why chocolate is toxic to dogs. The ingredients, theobromine and caffeine, overstimulate the nervous system and heart.
Call your vet or a poison help line if your dog gets into any kind of chocolate. Darker chocolate is more dangerous, but even milk chocolate in small amounts can make a small dog very sick. An expert will calculate the risk to your dog by its weight, the type of chocolate, and the amount of chocolate eaten.
Grapes and raisins
They're so small, and most people find them delicious, but for your dog, even a few grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. The amount it takes varies by dog, so treat every ingestion as an emergency. I've most often seen this problem in households with small children.
Onions and garlic
Onions and other alliums (leeks, chives, shallots) are a staple in most homes, but keep them away from your dog. They cause anemia because they destroy red blood cells, whether cooked, raw, or powdered. Be especially cautious about sharing seasoned food with your dog, because garlic is even more potent than onions – and that includes garlic powder.
Xylitol
This sugar substitute, found in sugar-free gum and candy, toothpaste, nut butters, condiments, and even medications, drastically lowers a dog's blood sugar within an hour; one stick of sugar-free gum can poison a small dog.
Macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts and other nuts are trouble, and macadamias are the worst: even a few can cause weakness, tremors, vomiting, and fever within 12 hours.
Alcohol
Dogs are far more sensitive to alcohol than people, and small amounts cause vomiting, disorientation, and dangerous drops in blood sugar and body temperature.
Other foods that are unsafe or risky
These aren't usually deadly, but they send many dogs to the ER:
Avocado – persin, a fungicidal toxin found in avocados, is safe for humans but not for dogs. It causes vomiting and diarrhea. The pit can also block the intestinal tract.
Coffee, tea, and energy drinks – these contain the same stimulants as chocolate.
Cooked bones – known to splinter and possibly pierce the digestive tract
Fatty scraps and fried foods – Commonly known for leading to pancreatitis
Salty snacks – can cause sodium poisoning, as the AVMA notes in its rundown of everyday household hazards
Moldy food – Keep your eye on food items that can become moldy. You'll know not to eat them, but your dog won’t. Mold toxins can cause seizures and tremors.
I've treated many dogs with pancreatitis following a holiday get-together, which is a time when many of the food items are too fatty and a time more conducive to a trash can raid.
Some other foods can be risky for dogs depending on the ingredients or how they’re prepared. Learn more about mushrooms, ham, cherries, pumpkin pie, ice cream, bread, pickles, tomatoes, walnuts, and peaches.
The hidden xylitol danger
It's well worth discussing xylitol in greater depth. Many pet parents ask what peanut butter has xylitol. Many use peanut butter to mask pills or training treats. Fortunately, xylitol is not intentionally an ingredient in major brands of commercially available peanut butter.
However, if you're using a smaller, boutique brand or a natural version, read the ingredient label carefully. Xylitol is extremely dangerous for dogs due to its ability to cause low blood sugar and liver failure, as Cornell's Canine Health Center explains in its detailed review of xylitol toxicity.
Beware of xylitol that appears on the label under alternative names or broader ingredient categories. It may be called xylite or birch sugar. Check the label every time you purchase a new jar of peanut butter because brands change recipes. The FDA’s warning about xylitol in sugar-free products cautions that xylitol may also be called wood sugar on the label. It also hides in sugar-free gum, mints, candy, chewable vitamins, and toothpaste.
Signs your dog ate something toxic
Symptoms depend on the toxin. This quick-reference table, drawn from the Merck Veterinary Manual's overview of food hazards in pets, matches symptom patterns to likely culprits:
What you're seeing | Likely culprit |
Vomiting and diarrhea | Almost any food toxin – often the first sign |
Restlessness, racing heart, panting, tremors | Chocolate, caffeine |
Staggering, collapse, or seizures within an hour | Xylitol, alcohol |
Weakness, pale gums, red-brown urine (1–5 days later) | Onions, garlic, chives |
Urinating less, or not at all, within 24–48 hours | Grapes, raisins |
Hind-leg weakness, tremors, fever | Macadamia nuts |
What to do if your dog eats something they shouldn't
Remove the food from the area immediately. Note what they ate, roughly how much, and when.
Don't induce vomiting unless your vet or poison control professional tells you to. Some toxins do more damage coming up than they did going down.
Call for help immediately: your veterinarian, the ASPCA's 24/7 animal poison control center at 888-426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline's round-the-clock poisoning hotline at 855-764-7661. A small fee applies.
Keep the packaging (or a sample of what was eaten) to show the vet.
Follow instructions exactly. An early diagnosis followed by early treatment almost always leads to a better outcome.
I've had many cases over the years involving clients who phoned me at the hospital to report that their dog had just eaten a large amount of chocolate. After hearing the type of chocolate and amount, I sometimes had to refer them to the emergency room, where they received care that truly saved their lives. In all cases, the earlier the pet parent discovered the dietary indiscretion and the sooner they called, the more successful their dog’s outcome was.
What foods can dogs safely eat?
If you're wondering what human food can dogs eat, many plain, unseasoned foods work as occasional treats – just keep them under 10% of daily calories. This is another good chart to print and keep on the fridge.
Safe to share (plain, in moderation) | Keep away |
Lean cooked chicken, turkey, or beef | Chocolate, coffee, caffeine |
Carrots, green beans, cucumber | Grapes, raisins, currants |
Apple slices (no seeds or core) | Onions, garlic, chives, leeks |
Blueberries and seedless watermelon | Xylitol and sugar-free products |
Plain cooked rice and pumpkin | Macadamia nuts |
Xylitol-free peanut butter | Alcohol and raw yeast dough |
Want to add some variety to your dog’s treats? Talk to your vet about adding sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, spinach, cranberries, cantaloupe, and peas.
Keep the counter clear and the hotline saved
To ensure your dog’s safety, always keep the six most dangerous foods – chocolate, grapes and raisins, alliums, xylitol, macadamia nuts, and alcohol – completely out of reach, learn the warning signs above, and save both hotline numbers in your phone today. When in doubt, call your vet.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most toxic foods for dogs?
The foods most likely to cause a life-threatening emergency are chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, xylitol, macadamia nuts, and alcohol. Different organs can be affected depending on the particular food, including the liver, red blood cells, the kidneys, or the nervous system. Several of these food items can cause complete organ failure or death even if your dog eats only a very small amount.
What is the most poisonous thing for a dog to eat?
There's no single answer because there are several items that are very dangerous, and it depends on the dog and the dose. Grapes and raisins can trigger sudden kidney failure, and xylitol can cause severe low blood sugar and liver failure from tiny amounts, which makes those two especially frightening. Chocolate, meanwhile, remains the food-poisoning emergency veterinarians treat most often.
Can dogs eat peanut butter?
Usually, yes – plain peanut butter is a safe treat for most dogs in small amounts. The exception is any brand sweetened with xylitol, which is toxic even in tiny doses. Check the ingredient label every time you buy a new jar, and remember that xylitol sometimes appears on the label as birch sugar or wood sugar.
What should I do if my dog eats something toxic?
Stay calm, move your dog away from the food, and note what they ate, roughly how much, and when it happened. Don't induce vomiting unless a professional instructs you to. Then call your veterinarian, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. Fast action saves lives.
