List Of Foods You Should NEVER Feed To Dogs

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Many people assume – mistakenly – that “human food” is safe for their pets. Nothing could be further from the truth! Some human foods can be poisonous to dogs and you need to know what they are. One of the challenges here is that dogs tend to want to eat what they see you eating – and will not just leave alone the things that could harm them.

Here is a list of foods and other substances that should never be fed to dogs and kept out of reach. Please share this list – you can also pin our pic on Pinterest / link to this page.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sweetener used as an additive and sugar substitute. It is very dangerous to dogs and can cause seizures and liver failure.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is highly toxic to dogs and can kill in amounts safe for humans!

Chocolate

So many people think they are giving their dog a treat by giving it chocolate. It can cause dogs gastrointestinal upset, elevated heart rate and even seizures.

Onions and Garlic

These are controversial. Some report they are toxic to dogs (damaging red blood cells) but many people think they are ok. You may wish to avoid giving them to your dog to be on the safe side. Onions and garlic often end up given to dogs inadvertently in leftovers from the table. Be aware also of the many products containing onion powder – including soups and certain baby foods.

Coffee

Raw fish

This can lead to thiamine deficiency in dogs, which can be serious.

Apple seeds

Apricot, cherry, avocado, plum, persimmon and peach stones / pits / seeds

Moldy Food

Certain molds can be life threatening to dogs – so keep them away from moldy foods of all kinds.

Macadamia nuts

These are toxic enough to dogs to make them ill, giving them a kind of fever – but are reported unlikely to be fatal.

Other nuts

In general, nuts are best avoided by dogs. Walnuts can make them ill, and other tree nuts such as brazils and pistachios may contain a small amount of aflatoxin, a substance produced by a certain type of mold, which can be very harmful to dogs although typically this occurs in amounts safe for humans.

Bones from cooked chicken or fish

Grapes and raisins

Have been associated with kidney failure in dogs.

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are more intoxicating to dogs than humans, and alcohol poisoning occurs at a much lower dosage. Don’t ever give dogs alcoholic drinks!

Hops

Very toxic to dogs, leading to very high body temperature, seizures and possible death. Immediate veterinary treatment is needed.

Bread dough

Uncooked dough with live yeast can have very serious consequences for a dog. Not only can it expand in a dog’s stomach to the point where it can lead to breathing difficulty, it can also produce alcohol in the stomach, seriously enough to cause collapse or even death from alcohol poisoning.

Over-the-counter Medications, Prescriptions and Supplements

There have been numerous cases where people have dropped their medication and the dog ate it before they could stop him from doing so. Prescriptions drugs can be VERY dangerous for dogs! Also, some supplements such as fish oil and other herbal products can be very tasty to dogs and if they manage to get into the container and binge, it could be serious.

Garden Products

Ok, so you aren’t likely to feed soil improvement products such as bone meal, fish emulsion or manure to pets, but they can chew through plastic containers and binge – so these things need to be kept somewhere where dog can’t get to them.

Plants

Numerous plants are toxic to dogs. Some of these are toxic to humans too, but some are not. The list of dog-toxic plants includes: – potato and tomato plant leaves and stems, rhubarb, Azalea, Daffodil, Foxglove, Ivy, Morning Glory, Nightshade, Oak, Green Potato, Rhododendrum, Wisteria, Aloe Vera, Caladium, Chrysanthemum, Dumbcane, Elephant’s Ear, Emerald Fern, Hyacinth, Philodendron, Weeping Fig, Yew. Note, this is not an exhaustive list but covers several of the common no-no’s.

If you notice symptoms / suspect the consumption of the above foods, contact the vet / take the dog in immediately.

See also: 20 “People Foods” That Are Considered SAFE For Dogs