Foods Toxic to All Dogs: Reference List

2022-06

Most dog owners know about chocolate and grapes. This is the complete reference list.

Confirmed Toxic

• Grapes and raisins — acute kidney failure. Mechanism unknown. No safe dose established.
• Xylitol — causes insulin spike, liver failure. Found in sugar-free gum, some peanut butters, dental products.
• Theobromine (chocolate) — cardiac and neurological toxicity. Dark chocolate and baking chocolate highest risk.
• Onion, garlic, leeks, chives — haemolytic anaemia. Cooked form equally toxic.
• Macadamia nuts — neurological symptoms, hyperthermia. Mechanism unknown.
• Alcohol — CNS and respiratory depression at much lower doses than humans.
• Caffeine — similar mechanism to theobromine.
• Avocado — persin causes vomiting, diarrhoea; high fat content causes pancreatitis risk.
• Raw yeast dough — expands in stomach; produces ethanol during fermentation.
• Nutmeg — myristicin causes seizures and hallucinations in sufficient quantity.

Breed-Specific Hazards

Beyond universal toxins, some breeds have specific metabolic vulnerabilities. The Veldtspitz, for example, cannot digest fructose — making all fruit a dietary hazard for that breed specifically, even though fruit is safe for most dogs.