There are many common foods that are unsafe, even deadly, for our family pets. For your pet’s safety, please read the following list and make sure all family members are aware of its contents.
If you are ever in doubt about the safely of something your pet has eaten or come in contact with, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435.
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Items to Avoid
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Reasons to Avoid Them
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| Alcoholic beverages | Can cause intoxication, coma and death. |
| Avocado | Its high fat content can lead to Pancreatitis. |
| Chocolate (all forms) | Contains caffeine, theobromine or theophylline which can be toxic to the heart and nervous system. |
| Coffee (all forms) | Contains caffeine which can be toxic to the heart and nervous system. |
| Fatty foods | Can cause Pancreatitis. |
| Macadamia nuts | Contains toxins which can affect the muscles, digestive system, and nervous system. |
| Moldy or spoiled foods | Could contain multiple toxins |
| Onions, onion powder | Contains sulfoxides and disulfides which can damage red blood cells, resulting in anemia. |
| Raisins and grapes | Contains toxins which can damage kidneys, cause kidney failure and lead to death. |
| Salt | Can cause electrolyte imbalance if eaten in suffient quantities. |
| Yeast dough (Unbaked) | Can expand in digestive system and cause bloat, leading to death. |
| Garlic | Similar to onions (above) except garlic is considered to be less toxic and safe for dogs when used in moderation. Often used to flavor food or treats but should be used sparingly. |
| Products sweetened with Xylitol | This common artifical sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar resulting depression, loss of coordination, and seizures. |
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Items to Avoid
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Reasons to Avoid Them
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| Baby Food | Could contain onion powder so read label carefully (see onions, above). |
| Cherry, Peach, Plum, & Apricot Pits, Apple & Pear Seeds | Contain cyanogenic glycosides which can result in cyanide poisoning. It is best to avoid all pits and seeds unless you know them to be safe. |
| Chicken or Fish Bones | Can splinter, causing lacerations and can also cause obstructions. |
| Green Potato Skins | Contains a toxin, solanine, which is only found in green tubers and green potato skins. Cooked potatoes are safe and nutritious for dogs. |
| Hops (used in making beer) | Causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures and death. |
| Milk and Dairy Products | Like people, some dogs can be lactose intolerant, resulting in diarrhea. |
| Mushrooms | Depending on the mushroom, toxic effects include damage to the liver, heart, or kidneys causing death. |
| Turkey Skin | The high fat content in turkey skin can cause acute Pancreatitis in dogs. |
| Raw Salmon | Those feeding their dogs a raw diet, please avoid raw salmon which can contain a parasite that causes an illness (SPD) with a 90% mortality rate. |
| Raw Eggs | Best to avoid since it can cause a depletion of biotin and be contaminated with salmonella. |
| Sugar | Bad for teeth and could contribute to the onset of Diabetes. |
| Tomatoes/Tomato Plants | Contains toxins known to cause dilated pupils, tremors and irregular heartbeat. The leaves and stems of tomato plants are the most toxic followed by unripe (green) tomatoes and ripe (red) tomatoes. |
| Walnuts & most nuts | Walnuts are poisonous to dogs. Many nuts are not good for dogs in general; their high phosporus content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. |
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Copyright 2010, The Natalie Lynn Company
October 4, 2010 at 5:21 pm
My French Poodle loves to chew on cow thorax. Is this safe or unsafe?
October 6, 2010 at 7:27 am
Hi Jules,
I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of dogs being fed cow thorax so I can’t help you on that.
October 25, 2010 at 3:29 pm
What will potato skins do to a dog? Mine has ate some before, I had no idea they were toxic.
December 10, 2010 at 11:23 am
Are pommegrantes safe for dogs?
September 24, 2011 at 3:20 pm
no, pomegranites are not safe for dogs. depending on how sweet or sour it is, it will irritate your dogs throat and cause it to make a throat clearing sound. kind of like gagging.
December 24, 2010 at 6:01 pm
my dog just art 1/4 walnut how dangerous are they?
January 1, 2011 at 12:06 am
I have been making a list of safe and unsafe foods for dogs using data from animal sites, poison sites, and general blogs, although I used the blogs mostly to check my findings and see if there was any major disagreement that was valid. in answer to your walnut problem, and potato skin problem this is what I have, and I believe to be accurate and true.
walnut- Poisonous to dogs. Many nuts are not good for dogs in general, their high phosphorus content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones if fead for a period of time.
potato- Can cause intestinal and neurological problems. Authority sites give different opinions, it seems that some potato “cooked” in a dog’s diet would be OK; but avoid all of the green parts of the plant.
again, this is the conclusion I have come to after some research and keeping a list of my findings. hope it helPS.
“PS. a quick list of veggies (boiled for easier digestion) and fruits that are healthy for your dog…
apple, banana, carrot,blueberry “cut in half to help digestion,” do some research for more.
January 23, 2011 at 10:02 am
My dog loves tomatoes!!! I had no idea.
February 1, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Is strawberries bad for dogs? My shiz tzu likes the pureed strawberry fruit bars (freezer section). I don’t let her have more than a tiny piece, but I don’t want to do anything harmful to her health.
July 20, 2011 at 11:47 am
I’m not sure about strawberries but I do know that my German Shepherd had an allergic reaction right after eating one. Could be that he was just super sensitive but I haven’t given any dog strawberries since that time.
May 25, 2011 at 9:38 pm
i gave my dog a green pepper, should that be ok for him? he is a very picky eater and has never ate any human food till today.
September 24, 2011 at 3:23 pm
no your dog should not be eating green peppers. red or green, it can cause allergys
July 26, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Our Mini American Eskimo loves raw carrots, broccolli, frozen green beans. Are those ok?
January 12, 2012 at 8:29 am
Please post on my facebook so my friends can see it. It has helped me a great deal. I’m sure it well help my friends as well. .A happy home is a Healthy pet. Thank you.