20 Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs: Symptoms and What to Do

Why Knowing Toxic Foods Can Save Your Dog's Life

Dogs are opportunistic eaters with far less dietary discrimination than their owners often assume. Given the chance, most dogs will eat nearly anything — dropped food, counter-surfed snacks, garbage, or stolen holiday treats. Understanding which common foods are toxic is one of the most important pieces of knowledge any dog owner can have.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center received over 401,000 calls in 2022, with food-related toxicities among the top categories. If your dog has eaten a potentially toxic food, act immediately — don't wait for symptoms. Call the ASPCA Poison Control (1-888-426-4435) or your emergency vet. You can also Book a vet appointment at Happy Paws for urgent assessments, and log symptoms in the TailRounds Daily Log.

The 20 Most Dangerous Foods for Dogs

Food	Toxic Compound	Symptoms	Severity
Grapes & raisins	Unknown (possibly tartaric acid)	Vomiting, lethargy, kidney failure	Life-threatening
Xylitol (artificial sweetener)	Xylitol	Vomiting, weakness, seizures, liver failure	Life-threatening
Chocolate	Theobromine, caffeine	Vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, cardiac arrhythmia	Severe to life-threatening
Onions, garlic, leeks, chives	N-propyl disulfide, organosulfur	Hemolytic anemia, weakness, pale gums	Severe (cumulative)
Macadamia nuts	Unknown	Weakness, hyperthermia, tremors, vomiting	Moderate to severe
Alcohol	Ethanol	Vomiting, disorientation, respiratory depression	Severe to life-threatening
Caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks)	Caffeine, theobromine	Rapid heart rate, tremors, seizures	Severe
Avocado	Persin	Vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress	Moderate to severe
Raw yeast dough	Ethanol, CO2	Bloat, alcohol poisoning, GI obstruction	Severe
Nutmeg	Myristicin	Tremors, seizures, disorientation	Moderate to severe

Additional Dangerous Foods (11–20)

• 11. Cooked bones: Splinter into sharp fragments causing intestinal perforation, obstruction, or oral injuries. Raw bones are generally safer but still carry risks. Never feed cooked bones of any kind.
• 12. Apple, cherry, plum, peach seeds/pits: Contain amygdalin which metabolizes into cyanide. Apple flesh is fine; seeds and core are not.
• 13. Salt (large quantities): Hypernatremia (sodium poisoning). Symptoms include excessive thirst, vomiting, tremors, seizures. A few potato chips are generally fine; a bag is not.
• 14. Raw salmon and trout (Pacific Northwest): Can carry Neorickettsia helminthoeca causing "Salmon Poisoning Disease" — fatal if untreated. Safe once cooked thoroughly.
• 15. Mushrooms (wild): Some wild mushrooms (Amanita phalloides, Gyromitra) are fatally toxic. Store-bought culinary mushrooms (button, portobello) are generally safe in small cooked amounts.
• 16. Hops (beer-making ingredient): Malignant hyperthermia in dogs — extremely dangerous, especially in greyhounds and other thin-coated breeds.
• 17. Walnuts, pecans (moldy or black walnuts): Contain juglone and aflatoxins. All walnuts/pecans carry high aflatoxin mold risk if not very fresh. Macadamias are separately toxic.
• 18. Tobacco products and nicotine: Even a cigarette butt can cause severe nicotine poisoning (vomiting, tremors, rapid heart rate, death in severe cases).
• 19. Cannabis (marijuana): Dogs are more sensitive to THC than humans. Even secondhand smoke can cause intoxication, disorientation, and urinary incontinence. Edibles (often containing xylitol or chocolate) are doubly dangerous.
• 20. Blue-green algae: Found in warm, stagnant water — if a dog drinks from a bloom, liver toxins and neurotoxins can cause rapid death. Always keep dogs away from algae-covered water bodies.

What to Do If Your Dog Eats Something Toxic

• Step 1: Stay calm and quickly identify what was eaten, how much, and when
• Step 2: Call ASPCA Poison Control (1-888-426-4435) or your nearest emergency vet immediately — do not wait for symptoms
• Step 3: Do NOT induce vomiting unless specifically instructed by a vet — some toxins cause more damage on the way back up
• Step 4: If instructed to induce vomiting, 3% hydrogen peroxide at 1 ml/kg (max 45 ml) is the standard method — only with vet guidance
• Step 5: Bring the food packaging or a photo to the vet if possible
• Step 6: Follow up with your regular vet and document the incident in the TailRounds Daily Log

Prevention is the most effective strategy. Store human food out of reach, be vigilant during holidays when toxic foods are more accessible, and educate all household members. Find a Clinic near you that you can call in an emergency.