If your dog already ate something toxic
Do not wait for symptoms. Call your vet, an emergency vet, or a pet poison hotline now — ASPCA Animal Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 (a fee may apply). Have the food, the amount, and your dog's weight ready.
Toxic — never feed
These are dangerous to dogs. If your dog has eaten one, call your vet or a pet poison hotline right away.
Safe in moderation
Fine as an occasional treat in small amounts, with the caveats noted on each page.
Generally safe
Safe for most dogs when prepared appropriately and fed in sensible amounts.
Dogs beg convincingly, and it is tempting to share, but a dog's body handles many everyday human foods very differently from ours. A few, like chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, and the sweetener xylitol, are genuinely dangerous, and a couple of them can cause serious harm from surprisingly small amounts. Others are healthy occasional treats once you know how to prepare and portion them.
Each food page here gives you the direct answer first, then the why, the signs to watch for if your dog has eaten too much, and the specific steps to take in an emergency, all grounded in veterinary and animal-poison-control sources. When in doubt about anything your dog has eaten, the safest move is always to call your veterinarian or a pet poison hotline rather than guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods are toxic to dogs?
The most common seriously toxic foods are chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic (and other allium vegetables), xylitol (a sweetener in sugar-free gum, some peanut butters, and baked goods), macadamia nuts, alcohol, and caffeine. Several of these can cause life-threatening harm even in small amounts, so if your dog eats one, contact your vet or a pet poison hotline right away rather than waiting for symptoms.
What should I do if my dog ate something toxic?
Call your veterinarian, an emergency vet, or a pet poison hotline immediately, and do not wait for symptoms to appear. In North America you can reach ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 (a consultation fee may apply). Have the food, the rough amount, and your dog's weight ready, and only induce vomiting if a professional instructs you to.
How do I know if a food is safe for my dog?
Use the search on this page to look up the specific food, since the answer varies a lot: some human foods are fine in small amounts, some are safe only when prepared a certain way, and some are dangerous at any amount. When a food is not listed or you are unsure, treat it as risky and check with your vet before offering it.
How much of a toxic food is dangerous?
It depends on the food and the dog. Some toxins, like xylitol and grapes, can harm a dog in very small amounts, while others, like chocolate, scale with the amount and the type. Because the safe threshold is often idiosyncratic or unknown, the safest approach with any toxic food is to treat any ingestion as a reason to call your vet rather than trying to judge whether it was "enough" to matter.
This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If you are worried about something your dog has eaten, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison hotline.