The Forbidden List: 10 Common Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs

Sharing is caring, right? Not when it comes to your dinner plate. While many human foods are safe (and healthy!) for dogs, some are deadly poisons hiding in plain sight.

Here are the top 10 foods you must NEVER feed your dog.

1. Xylitol (The Silent Killer)

• Found in: Sugar-free gum, peanut butter, toothpaste, baked goods.
• The Danger: It causes a massive insulin release, leading to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure within minutes.
• Lethal Dose: Extremely low. 2 sticks of gum can kill a small dog. Check your Peanut Butter label!

2. Grapes and Raisins

• The Danger: Acute Kidney Failure.
• Lethal Dose: Unknown. Some dogs eat a bag and are fine; others eat one grape and die. Do not risk it.

3. Chocolate

• The Danger: Theobromine affects the heart and nervous system.
• Dark vs. Milk: Baker’s chocolate/Dark chocolate is dangerous. Milk chocolate is less so, but still risky. White chocolate is mostly fat (pancreatitis risk) but low toxicity.

4. Onions and Garlic

• The Danger: They damage red blood cells, causing anemia.
• Risk: It accumulates. A little bit of onion powder every day is worse than one big dose.

5. Macadamia Nuts

• The Danger: Neurological symptoms. Weakness, tremors, and paralysis of the hind legs. Usually temporary, but terrifying.

6. Avocados

• The Danger: Persin (mostly in the pit and skin). The flesh is high fat (pancreatitis). The pit is a major choking hazard.

7. Alcohol

• The Danger: Dogs have small livers. Alcohol causes coma and death very quickly.

8. Cooked Bones

• The Danger: They splinter into shards that can puncture the stomach. Raw bones are generally safer (soft), but cooked bones are glass.

9. Caffeine

• The Danger: Heart arrhythmias and seizures. Keep the energy drinks away.

10. Yeast Dough

• The Danger: It expands in the warm stomach (bloat) and produces alcohol (poisoning) as it ferments. A double whammy.

What to Do If They Eat It

1. Call the Vet or Pet Poison Helpline immediately.
2. Induce Vomiting?: Only if instructed. Sometimes bringing it back up causes more damage (e.g., batteries or caustic substances).
3. Know the Weight: The vet needs to know your dog’s weight and exactly how much they ate to calculate toxicity.