What Human Food Can Dogs Eat? The Safe List and the Dangerous One
A clear list of everyday foods that are fine for dogs, the ones to avoid, and the handful that are genuinely dangerous. Plus what to do if your dog eats something they shouldn't.
Most dogs spend a fair proportion of their lives staring at people eating. Some of what is on your plate is perfectly fine for them. A small number of things are genuinely dangerous, and a couple of those are dangerous in amounts that would surprise you.
Here is the practical version, split three ways.
Safe in sensible amounts
Carrot. Raw or cooked, whole or in sticks. Low calorie, satisfying to chew, and most dogs like them. One of the best free treats going.
Green beans. Plain, no butter or salt. Excellent for dogs on a diet.
Cucumber. Very low calorie, mostly water, good on a hot day.
Apple. Fine, but remove the core and pips. Pips contain a small amount of cyanide compound, and while one accidentally eaten pip is nothing to panic about, do not make a habit of it.
Banana. Fine in small amounts. Fairly sugary, so a slice rather than a whole one.
Blueberries. Genuinely good for them and easy to use as training rewards.
Plain cooked chicken, turkey, beef, white fish. No bones, no skin, no seasoning, no onion or garlic in the cooking. A standard recommendation for upset stomachs for good reason.
Plain cooked egg. Fine and useful for tempting a fussy eater.
Plain rice and plain pasta. Bland and harmless.
Pumpkin and butternut squash, cooked and plain. Good fibre.
Peanut butter, if xylitol free. Check the label every single time, including on brands you have bought before, because recipes change. Xylitol is covered below and it is serious.
Best avoided, though not emergencies
Cheese and dairy. Many dogs are somewhat lactose intolerant, and cheese is very calorie dense. A tiny bit as a high-value training reward is fine. A regular habit is a weight problem.
Bread and most baked goods. Empty calories. Raw dough is a different matter and belongs in the danger list.
Fatty meat trimmings, sausages, bacon. A meaningful trigger for pancreatitis, which is painful, expensive and occasionally fatal. This is the one that spikes at Christmas.
Salty foods. Crisps, processed meats, anything heavily seasoned.
Cooked bones of any kind. Cooking makes bone brittle and prone to splintering. Never give cooked bones, chicken bones especially.
Corn on the cob. The kernels are harmless, the cob is a classic intestinal obstruction. Surgery territory.
Avocado. Contains persin. The bigger risk is the stone, which is an obstruction waiting to happen.
Genuinely dangerous
Xylitol, also labelled birch sugar or E967. The most dangerous item on this list because it is in ordinary products. Sugar-free gum, some peanut butters, sugar-free sweets, some baked goods, some medicines. It causes a rapid crash in blood sugar and can cause liver failure. Very small amounts matter. Treat any suspected ingestion as an immediate emergency.
Chocolate. Theobromine. Darker chocolate and cocoa powder are far worse than milk. Amount and dog size both matter.
Grapes, raisins, sultanas, currants. Can cause acute kidney failure, and the alarming part is that nobody has established a safe dose. Some dogs eat a lot and are fine, others eat a few and are seriously ill. Includes mince pies, Christmas cake and hot cross buns.
Onion, garlic, leek, chive, shallot. Damage red blood cells. Cooked, raw or powdered, and powdered is more concentrated. Watch out for gravy, stock, curry and anything with onion powder in the seasoning.
Macadamia nuts. Cause weakness and tremors.
Alcohol. Including unbaked dough, which ferments in the stomach and produces alcohol while also expanding.
Caffeine. Coffee grounds and tea bags in the bin are the usual route.
If your dog eats something they shouldn't
Ring your vet. Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear, because for several items on that list the damage is done well before the dog looks unwell.
Tell them what it was, roughly how much, when, and your dog's weight. Keep the packaging.
Do not try to make your dog sick yourself. Some home methods are dangerous and some substances do more damage coming back up.
Out of hours, your practice will have an emergency number. Use it. Vets would far rather field a call about a dog who turns out to be fine than see one twelve hours too late.
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