nutrition
What human foods are toxic to dogs and cats?
The confirmed-toxic list
- Chocolate (theobromine), darker chocolate is worse; baker's chocolate is dangerous in small amounts.
- Xylitol, common in sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters, baked goods. Fatal to dogs at small doses.
- Grapes and raisins, mechanism unknown, doses unpredictable; some dogs develop kidney failure from a few grapes.
- Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, cause oxidative damage to red blood cells; cats especially sensitive.
- Macadamia nuts, cause weakness, vomiting, hyperthermia in dogs.
- Alcohol, and raw bread dough, which ferments in the stomach.
- Caffeine, coffee grounds, tea bags, energy drinks.
- Cooked bones, splinter and perforate the GI tract. Raw bones carry pathogen risk (see raw FAQ) but don't splinter the same way.
- Lilies (cats), all parts, including pollen, cause acute kidney failure. Even brushing against a bouquet can be fatal.
If your pet ingests something
- Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (consultation fee applies but it's worth it).
- Do not induce vomiting unless explicitly told to, some substances (caustics, batteries) cause more damage coming back up.
- If you can, take a photo of the packaging and note the time, amount, and your pet's weight.
- For lilies in cats, go to an emergency vet immediately, every hour matters for kidney protection.