Toxic Food, Household & Outdoor Hazard Guide for Dogs
Disclaimer
This guide is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, emergency service or replacement for care from a licensed veterinarian. A food listed as generally safe may still be inappropriate because of an individual dog’s health condition, medication, allergy, calorie needs, portion size or complete diet. This list is not exhaustive, and product formulations may change. Always read the complete ingredient label.
If you believe your dog has eaten a toxic or dangerous substance, contact your veterinarian, the nearest emergency veterinary hospital, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 immediately. Consultation fees may apply.
Educational only. Not a diagnosis or replacement for veterinary care.
POSSIBLE POISONING: ACT NOW
If your dog ate a potentially toxic food, do not wait for symptoms. Call your veterinarian, the nearest emergency veterinary hospital, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 immediately. Do not induce vomiting or give hydrogen peroxide, milk, oil, salt, activated charcoal, food or medication unless a veterinarian or animal poison-control professional specifically directs you.
Choose a category to see toxic food, hazards and prepared food with hidden dangers
Explore This Guide
Food or ingredient | Why it is dangerous | Where owners may encounter it | Required action |
| Xylitol / birch sugar | Can cause a rapid, profound drop in blood sugar and may cause severe liver injury in dogs. | Sugar-free gum, candy, mints, baked goods, nut butters, toothpaste, mouthwash, cough products, gummies and supplements. | EMERGENCY: call a veterinarian or animal poison-control service immediately. Do not wait for signs. |
| Grapes, raisins, sultanas and Zante currants | Can cause acute kidney injury; individual sensitivity and dangerous dose are unpredictable. | Fresh fruit, trail mix, cereal, breads, cookies, granola, snack bars and holiday dishes. | EMERGENCY: call immediately for every known ingestion. |
| Tamarind | Contains tartaric acid and has been associated with kidney injury in dogs. | Tamarind candy, sauces, chutneys, drinks and fruit products. | URGENT: call a veterinarian or animal poison-control service. |
| Onion, garlic, leek, shallot, chive and scallion | Allium compounds can damage red blood cells and cause hemolytic anemia. Raw, cooked and concentrated powders are hazardous. | Seasoning blends, broth, soup, gravy, baby food, sauces, stuffing, meat rubs and prepared meals. | URGENT: call for dose assessment; signs can be delayed. |
| Chocolate, cocoa, cacao and baking chocolate | Theobromine and caffeine can cause vomiting, abnormal heart rhythm, agitation, tremors, overheating and seizures. | Candy, brownies, cookies, cocoa powder, protein products, mulch and desserts. | EMERGENCY: save the package and call immediately; darker products are generally more concentrated. |
| Coffee, tea, caffeine and energy products | Caffeine stimulates the heart and nervous system and can cause dangerous agitation, arrhythmias, tremors and seizures. | Coffee grounds, beans, tea bags, energy drinks, pre-workout powder, caffeine pills and chocolate-covered espresso beans. | EMERGENCY: call immediately. |
| Alcohol and alcohol-containing foods | Can depress the brain and breathing, disrupt blood sugar and acid-base balance and lead to coma. | Beer, wine, liquor, cocktails, extracts, fermented fruit, desserts, hand sanitizer and mouthwash. | EMERGENCY: call immediately. |
| Raw yeast dough | Expands in the stomach and produces ethanol, creating risks of bloat, obstruction and alcohol poisoning. | Unbaked bread, pizza, roll and pastry dough. | EMERGENCY: call immediately; do not wait for abdominal swelling. |
| Macadamia nuts | Cause a dog-specific toxicosis associated with weakness, vomiting, tremors, fever and difficulty walking. | Mixed nuts, cookies, candy, nut butter and baked goods. | URGENT: call a veterinarian or poison-control service. |
| Wild mushrooms | Some species cause severe gastrointestinal, neurologic, liver or kidney injury and may be fatal. | Lawns, woods, mulch, compost and foraged mushrooms. | EMERGENCY: remove access, photograph or safely bag a sample and seek veterinary help immediately. |
| Moldy food and compost | Tremorgenic mycotoxins can cause vomiting, agitation, tremors, overheating and seizures. | Moldy bread, cheese, nuts, pasta, dairy, garbage, compost piles and spoiled leftovers. | EMERGENCY: call immediately, especially with tremors or seizures. |
| Excess salt, salt dough and play dough | Can cause dangerous hypernatremia and neurologic injury. | Homemade ornaments, salt dough, bouillon, seasoning salt, seawater, paintballs and heavily salted foods. | EMERGENCY: call. Do not force water or use a home remedy unless directed. |
| Hops | Can trigger rapidly rising body temperature and severe systemic illness in dogs. | Home-brewing hops, spent hops and brewing waste. | EMERGENCY: seek immediate veterinary care. |
| Cannabis / THC edibles | THC affects the nervous system; edibles may also contain chocolate, xylitol or high fat. | Gummies, brownies, cookies, oils, butter and discarded cannabis products. | URGENT: call and be honest about the product and amount so treatment is accurate. |
| Nutmeg or concentrated cinnamon oil | Large nutmeg exposures can affect the nervous system; concentrated cinnamon can irritate tissues and affect blood sugar or the liver. | Spice containers, essential oils, holiday drinks and baked goods. | Call for significant ingestion or any symptoms; do not give essential oils. |
| Green or sprouted potatoes | Contain glycoalkaloids that can cause gastrointestinal and neurologic signs. | Raw potatoes, green skins, sprouts and garden plants. | Call for a significant ingestion or symptoms. |
| Green tomato plant parts | Leaves, stems and unripe green fruit contain higher concentrations of glycoalkaloids. | Garden plants, vines, leaves and unripe tomatoes. | Call for significant ingestion or symptoms. |
| Rhubarb leaves | Contain soluble oxalates that can disturb calcium balance and damage organs. | Gardens, pies prepared with leaves by mistake and compost. | URGENT: contact a veterinarian or poison-control service. |
| Blue or mold-ripened cheese and spoiled cheese | Mold toxins may cause tremors, fever and seizures; fat and sodium add risk. | Blue cheese, Roquefort-style products and spoiled dairy waste. | Call immediately if tremors, agitation or a large ingestion occurs. |
Food or ingredient | Why it is dangerous | Where owners may encounter it | Required action |
| Cooked bones | Can splinter, fracture teeth, lodge in the throat or perforate the digestive tract. | Chicken wings, ribs, pork chops, steak bones and holiday carcasses. | Seek veterinary care for choking, repeated gagging, vomiting, pain, blood or inability to pass stool. |
| Raw bones | Can fracture teeth, obstruct or perforate and may carry harmful bacteria. | Recreational marrow bones, poultry necks and raw meaty bones. | Do not use as a routine chew; contact a veterinarian after swallowing a large piece or if symptoms occur. |
| Corn cobs | A common cause of intestinal obstruction because the cob does not digest. | Cookouts, trash cans and compost. | URGENT: call a veterinarian after known ingestion even if the dog seems normal. |
| Fruit pits and large seeds | Can choke or obstruct; crushed pits from stone fruits may release cyanogenic compounds. | Peach, plum, nectarine, apricot, cherry, mango and avocado pits. | Call after ingestion, especially if chewed or swallowed whole. |
| Rinds, peels and hard cores | Can be difficult to digest and may create choking or obstruction. | Watermelon rind, pineapple core, melon rind and apple cores. | Monitor only after professional guidance; seek care for vomiting, pain or reduced appetite. |
| Skewers and toothpicks | Sharp objects can puncture the mouth, throat, stomach or intestine. | Kebabs, appetizers, sandwiches and trash. | EMERGENCY: seek veterinary care; do not pull an object that appears embedded. |
| Shells and seafood tails | Can choke, cut tissue or obstruct. | Shrimp tails, crab, lobster, clam and oyster shells. | Contact a veterinarian after swallowing a shell or if gagging, vomiting or pain develops. |
| Foil, plastic wrap, string and food packaging | May obstruct or bunch the intestines; wrappers may retain toxic food. | Candy wrappers, meat netting, sausage casing, foil and plastic film. | Call a veterinarian for known ingestion or symptoms. |
| Large hard food pieces | May choke or fracture teeth. | Whole carrots, frozen chunks, ice-hard treats and large raw vegetables. | Cut food to the dog's size and chewing style; seek emergency help for breathing difficulty. |
Food or ingredient | Why it is dangerous | Where owners may encounter it | Required action |
| Rotisserie chicken | Skin, grease, bones, salt, onion and garlic seasoning. | Use only plain, skinless, boneless meat if the ingredient list and preparation are known. | |
| Gravy, stuffing and casseroles | Onion, garlic, fat, salt, dairy, raisins or mushrooms. | Do not share unless every ingredient is verified and the portion is nutritionally appropriate. | |
| Pizza and pasta sauce | Onion, garlic, cheese, fat, sodium and sometimes spicy ingredients. | Do not feed as a treat. | |
| Tacos, chili and seasoned ground meat | Onion, garlic, chili, salt, fat and sometimes chocolate-containing mole sauce. | Reserve plain meat before seasoning if sharing a small portion. | |
| Trail mix and granola | Raisins, chocolate, macadamias, xylitol, nuts and high fat. | Keep completely out of reach. | |
| Cookies, cakes and brownies | Chocolate, raisins, xylitol, macadamias, alcohol extracts, sugar and fat. | Treat unknown baked-goods ingestion as a label-reading and poison-control issue. | |
| Sugar-free candy, gum and mints | Possible xylitol plus choking and wrapper hazards. | Every ingestion requires immediate ingredient verification and professional advice. | |
| Chips, pretzels and snack mixes | Excess sodium, onion/garlic powder and fat. | Not appropriate treats. | |
| Fried food | Very high fat, grease, salt and seasoning. | Avoid because of digestive upset and pancreatitis risk. | |
| Bouillon cubes and seasoning packets | Concentrated sodium, onion and garlic. | Never use to flavor dog food unless the complete product is specifically pet-safe. | |
| Pickles and fermented vegetables | Very high sodium and often garlic, onion or spices. | Do not offer. | |
| Human jerky | Sodium, sugar, smoke flavor, garlic, onion and preservatives. | Use a dog-specific product from a trusted source instead. |
What Owners Should Do After a Possible Exposure
- 1. Remove the dog from the food or substance and prevent additional access.
- 2. Confirm that the dog is breathing normally, responsive and able to stand.
- 3. Call the regular veterinarian, an emergency veterinary hospital or an animal poison-control service immediately.
- 4. Have the dog’s weight, product name, ingredient list, approximate amount and time of exposure available.
- 5. Save the package, wrapper, recipe, photograph or safe sample.
- 6. Follow professional instructions. Do not improvise a home antidote.
Disclaimer
This guide is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, emergency service or replacement for care from a licensed veterinarian. A food listed as generally safe may still be inappropriate because of an individual dog’s health condition, medication, allergy, calorie needs, portion size or complete diet. This list is not exhaustive, and product formulations may change. Always read the complete ingredient label.
If you believe your dog has eaten a toxic or dangerous substance, contact your veterinarian, the nearest emergency veterinary hospital, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 immediately. Consultation fees may apply.
Educational only. Not a diagnosis or replacement for veterinary care.
