Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs and Cats, the Official List

This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet has eaten something on this list, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center right away.

Holidays, parties, and ordinary snacks on a coffee table all put people food within reach of a curious dog or cat. ASPCA Animal Poison Control keeps a list of the most common foods to keep away from pets, and the FDA has issued its own warning about one sweetener in particular. Here is what is on the list, and why.

First: what to do if your pet eats something

ASPCA Poison Control's instructions are simple: if you suspect your pet has eaten one of these foods, note the amount eaten and contact your veterinarian or poison control at (888) 426-4435. Having the package or label on hand helps, since the type and amount matter.

Chocolate, coffee, and caffeine

The ASPCA groups these three together because the concern is the same: methylxanthines. In pets, they can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and even death.

The risk depends on concentration. The ASPCA says the darker the chocolate (the higher the cacao percentage), or the higher the caffeine content, the greater the risk. White chocolate has the lowest methylxanthine content, while baking chocolate and cocoa powder have the highest. A spilled tin of cocoa powder is a more serious situation than a dropped piece of milk chocolate.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar substitute, and the FDA considers it serious enough to publish a dedicated warning for dog owners. It may also be listed as birch sugar or wood sugar.

Where it shows up, according to the FDA and ASPCA:

• Sugar-free chewing gum, mints, and candy
• Some baked goods, including bakery items made for people with diabetes
• Toothpaste and other dental products
• Some nut butters, which matters if you use peanut butter for treats or to hide pills

Why it is dangerous for dogs: the FDA explains that in people, xylitol does not stimulate insulin release, but in dogs it is absorbed quickly and can trigger a potent release of insulin. That can cause a rapid, severe drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) within 10 to 60 minutes of eating it. The ASPCA adds that liver damage can occur within 12 to 24 hours.

Signs the FDA lists include vomiting, followed by decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse, and seizures. Because serious effects may not appear for up to 12 to 24 hours in some cases, the FDA says a dog may need to be hospitalized for monitoring even if it seems fine at first.

The FDA notes xylitol does not seem as dangerous for cats, but ferrets have developed low blood sugar and seizures like dogs. Its advice for every household: check labels on anything sugar-free or low-sugar, and keep xylitol products, including toothpaste, well out of reach. Some dogs are skilled counter surfers.

Grapes and raisins

The ASPCA says tartaric acid is suspected to be the toxic component in grapes and raisins, and that dogs cannot process it well. Exposure can lead to kidney damage. Raisins hide in trail mix, cookies, and bread, so check ingredients before sharing baked goods.

Onion, garlic, and chives

These are all Allium vegetables. The ASPCA says they can cause stomach irritation and red blood cell damage that can lead to anemia. Cats are more susceptible, though dogs are also at risk depending on the amount. Watch for them in gravies, sauces, and seasoned leftovers.

Macadamia nuts and other nuts

Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, incoordination, depression, vomiting, tremors, and high body temperature in dogs. The ASPCA says signs usually appear within 12 hours, with recovery expected within 24 to 72 hours. Other nuts, such as almonds, pecans, and walnuts, are high in oils and fats that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and potentially pancreatitis.

Alcohol and raw yeast dough

Alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, difficulty breathing, tremors, coma, and death, and the ASPCA notes it is absorbed rapidly, so prompt veterinary care matters.

Raw bread dough is a double hazard. The ASPCA explains that yeast dough can rise in the stomach, causing painful bloating that can become life-threatening if the stomach twists, and the yeast also produces alcohol as it ferments. Keep rising dough out of reach.

Other items on the ASPCA list

• Milk and dairy: pets lack significant amounts of lactase, so dairy can cause diarrhea or digestive upset.
• Salty foods: excess salt can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and even death.
• Raw meat, raw eggs, and bones: risk of Salmonella and E. coli; raw eggs can interfere with a vitamin's absorption, and bones can cause injury or blockage.
• Citrus: stems, leaves, peels, and seeds can cause irritation; eating the fruit itself is unlikely to cause more than minor stomach upset.
• Coconut: small amounts are unlikely to cause serious harm but may upset the stomach.
• Avocado: mainly a problem for birds, rabbits, horses, and ruminants, not usually dogs and cats.

A quick kitchen-proofing checklist

1. Store chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nuts, raisins, and gum in closed cabinets.
2. Read labels on peanut butter and sugar-free products for xylitol.
3. Keep purses and backpacks, which often hold gum or mints, off the floor.
4. Cover or secure trash cans.
5. Save the poison control number in your phone: (888) 426-4435.

Key takeaways

• If your pet eats a toxic food, note the amount and call your veterinarian or ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.
• Chocolate risk rises with darkness: baking chocolate and cocoa powder are the most dangerous, white chocolate the least.
• Xylitol can drop a dog's blood sugar within 10 to 60 minutes, and liver damage can follow within 12 to 24 hours; check nut butters and toothpaste.
• Grapes and raisins can damage dogs' kidneys, and onion, garlic, and chives can cause anemia, especially in cats.
• Macadamia nuts, alcohol, and raw yeast dough are also on the ASPCA's list of foods to keep away from pets.