Foods toxic to dogs

Puppies are curious, low to the ground and small, which makes a dropped grape or a square of chocolate far more dangerous for them than for a grown dog. The good news is that most cases are avoidable. Learn the short list of foods that do real harm, keep them out of reach, and act fast if your puppy gets to one.

The most dangerous foods

These are the ones worth memorising. For grapes and xylitol especially, there is no known safe amount:

• Chocolate. Contains theobromine and caffeine, which dogs cannot clear the way we do. The darker the chocolate the worse it is: dark and baking chocolate are the most dangerous, white the least.
• Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants. Can cause sudden kidney failure, with no known safe dose. Watch for hidden sources like mince pies, fruit cake, hot cross buns and some cereals.
• Xylitol (birch sugar). A sweetener in sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters and baked goods. It triggers a dangerous drop in blood sugar and can cause liver failure, even in small amounts. Always check labels before sharing human food.
• Onions, garlic, leeks and chives. Damage red blood cells and cause anaemia, whether raw, cooked, or as powders and gravy. The effect builds up over time, so small repeated amounts add up.
• Macadamia nuts. Cause weakness, wobbliness, tremors and a raised temperature. Rarely fatal, but a clear reason to call the vet.
• Alcohol and raw bread dough. Alcohol is toxic in small amounts, and raw dough carries on rising in the warm stomach, producing alcohol and painful bloating.
• Caffeine. Coffee, tea, energy drinks and cocoa. Dogs are far more sensitive to it than we are.
• Blue cheese. Ripe blue cheeses like Stilton contain a substance called roquefortine C that can cause tremors and seizures.

Not toxic, but still dangerous: cooked bones splinter and cause blockages or tears, corn cobs are a classic cause of gut obstruction, and avocado brings a large stone that can choke or block, plus a lot of fat. Keep these out of reach too.

Why puppies are extra at risk

A toxic dose is about body weight, and a puppy weighs a fraction of an adult dog, so a much smaller amount does harm. Puppies also explore everything with their mouths and have not yet learned what to leave alone. Bins, handbags, coffee tables and visitors' pockets are the usual culprits. A little puppy-proofing goes a long way, and our new puppy checklist covers the basics.

Signs your dog may have been poisoned

Signs vary by food, but common ones include:

• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Drooling or unusual lip-licking
• Wobbliness, tremors or twitching
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• A racing heart or fast breathing
• Seizures or collapse

Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Many poisons do their damage before a dog looks unwell, so the safest response is to call your vet the moment you know something has been eaten.

What to do if your puppy eats something toxic

• Call your vet straight away, or an out-of-hours emergency vet. Do not sit and watch to see what happens.
• Have the details ready: what they ate, roughly how much, when, and your puppy's weight. Keep the packaging if you have it.
• Do not try to make your puppy sick unless a vet tells you to. For some substances, bringing it back up causes more harm.
• Skip the home remedies. Milk, salt and food do not dilute a poison. Follow the vet's instructions only.

Foods that are safe as treats

Plenty of everyday foods are fine in small amounts, which makes them useful training treats:

• Plain cooked chicken or turkey, with no bones, skin or seasoning
• Carrot, cucumber and green beans
• Apple without the core or pips
• Blueberries
• Plain cooked pumpkin

Introduce new foods one at a time and in small amounts, and keep treats under about 10% of daily calories. Our feeding guide and feeding calculator cover the daily total.