NUTRITION & DIET

Human Foods Toxic to Dogs: The Complete List

Last updated: September 21, 2026 · Written by Sam, Founder

Foods toxic to dogs including grapes, chocolate, onions, and garlic arranged on a counter

Grapes, raisins, xylitol, chocolate, onions and garlic top the list; food was 16.4% of ASPCA poison calls in 2025. What each does and what to do.

Short answer: the human foods most dangerous to dogs are grapes and raisins, xylitol (in sugar-free gum and some peanut butters), chocolate, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol and raw yeast dough. In the ASPCA’s Top 10 Toxins of 2025, food and drink made up 16.4% of calls to ASPCA Animal Poison Control, led by grapes, raisins, xylitol gum, onions and garlic, and chocolate added another 13.6% on its own. If your dog has eaten any of these, call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 now.

Many common kitchen foods that are perfectly safe for people can be genuinely dangerous — sometimes fatal — for dogs, and several of the riskiest ones aren’t well known even among experienced pet owners.

What Foods Are Toxic to Dogs?

The table below covers the foods poison-control services hear about most, based on the ASPCA’s list of people foods to avoid and the Merck Veterinary Manual’s food-hazard chapters. “How serious” is a general guide only. Any real exposure deserves a call to your vet or a poison hotline.

Food	Toxic compound	What it does to dogs	How serious
Grapes, raisins, sultanas, Zante currants	Tartaric acid (the leading theory)	Vomiting or diarrhea within 6–12 hours, then acute kidney failure within 24–72 hours	Emergency; no amount is considered safe
Tamarind (imli), cream of tartar	Tartaric acid	Same kidney injury as grapes	Emergency
Xylitol (sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters, baked goods, chewable vitamins)	Xylitol, a sugar alcohol	Sudden low blood sugar, sometimes within 10–15 minutes; liver failure at higher doses	Emergency
Chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tea, energy drinks	Theobromine and caffeine (methylxanthines)	Vomiting, restlessness, racing or irregular heartbeat, tremors, seizures	Dose-dependent; cocoa powder and baking chocolate are worst
Onions, garlic, leeks, chives (raw, cooked or powdered)	Sulfur-containing oxidants	Destroy red blood cells, causing anemia days later	Dose-dependent; garlic and dried powders are most potent
Macadamia nuts	Unknown	Weakness, vomiting, wobbliness, tremors, fever	Usually not fatal; signs resolve in 12–48 hours
Alcohol and alcohol-soaked desserts	Ethanol	Vomiting, incoordination, breathing difficulty, tremors, coma	Emergency; absorbed quickly
Raw yeast dough	Expanding yeast plus ethanol it produces	Painful stomach bloating and alcohol poisoning	Emergency
Moldy food and compost (walnuts, peanuts, dairy, pasta)	Tremorgenic mycotoxins	Vomiting, tremors and seizures, often within 1–2 hours	Emergency
Very salty foods	Sodium	Thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures	Dose-dependent
Cooked or raw bones	Physical injury	Mouth injury, blockage or damage to the gut that may need surgery	Can be serious
High-fat foods and nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts)	Fat	Vomiting, diarrhea, possible pancreatitis	Often stomach upset; pancreatitis can be serious
Avocado	Persin (dogs are relatively resistant)	Swallowed pit can block the gut	Low toxicity; the pit is the main risk

An overhead view of foods toxic to dogs arranged on a kitchen counter — Grapes, chocolate, onions, and garlic are among the most common — and most dangerous — kitchen hazards.

Why Are Grapes, Raisins and Tamarind So Dangerous?

For years the toxic compound in grapes was unknown. The Merck Veterinary Manual now names tartaric acid as the leading explanation: dogs lack the transporters other species use to clear organic acids, so it builds up in the kidneys. The same chapter reports kidney failure in dogs after eating tamarind and cream of tartar, both rich in tartaric acid. That matters in Indian kitchens, where imli chutney and tamarind-based sambar and rasam are everyday foods.

Tartaric acid content varies between fruits, which is why some dogs eat grapes without harm and others go into kidney failure. Merck notes that more than one grape or raisin per 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of body weight may carry enough to risk kidney injury, and Pet Poison Helpline advises treating any ingestion as a poisoning. True currants (the Ribes genus) have not been linked to kidney injury.

How Much Chocolate, Xylitol or Onion Is Too Much?

Toxic doses are calculated per kilogram of body weight, so a Chihuahua reaches a dangerous dose far sooner than a Labrador. Published thresholds give a sense of scale, but they are not a substitute for a call:

Chocolate: the Merck Veterinary Manual reports mild signs at about 20 mg/kg of theobromine and caffeine combined, heart effects at 40–50 mg/kg and seizures at 60 mg/kg or more. Cocoa powder and unsweetened baking chocolate carry the most per ounce; white chocolate is a negligible source. Signs usually start within 6–12 hours and can last up to 72 hours in severe cases.
Xylitol: doses above about 100 mg/kg (45 mg/lb) have caused hypoglycemia, and some dogs eating more than 500 mg/kg (227 mg/lb) develop severe liver failure, according to Merck’s xylitol chapter. Pet Poison Helpline warns that xylitol content varies widely, even between flavors of one brand of gum, so read the label and call.
Onions and garlic: in dogs, 15–30 g/kg of raw onion has caused clinical signs, and garlic is 3–5 times more toxic than onion, per Merck’s Allium chapter. Concentrated forms such as onion powder, dehydrated flakes and dry soup mixes are most often behind poisonings.
Macadamia nuts: dogs have shown signs after about 2.4 g/kg, per the Merck Veterinary Manual. Most recover without specific treatment, but it is still worth a call.

What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Something Toxic?

Move your dog away and pick up what’s left. Keep the wrapper, label or recipe.
Work out what, how much and when. The cacao percentage, the xylitol content and your dog’s weight all change the advice.
Call for help now, even if your dog seems fine. Ring your vet or nearest emergency clinic, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661. Both hotlines run 24/7. ASPCA says a consultation fee may apply; Pet Poison Helpline charges $89 per incident, including follow-up calls with your vet. In India, call your vet or the nearest 24-hour veterinary hospital straight away.
Don’t induce vomiting unless you’re told to. Merck’s guidance reserves vomiting for dogs that are still symptom-free and favors licensed veterinary emetic drugs over hydrogen peroxide. Pet Poison Helpline says hydrogen peroxide should only be used in controlled quantities in dogs and never in cats.
Don’t wait for symptoms. Several of these poisons act on a delay. Red blood cell destruction from onions and garlic typically happens 3–5 days after the meal, kidney failure from grapes develops over 24–72 hours, and the ASPCA notes xylitol liver damage can occur within 12–24 hours.

Which Symptoms Mean You Should Go Straight to a Vet?

Go in right away, and call on the way, if your dog is vomiting repeatedly, trembling, wobbly or collapsing, having a seizure, breathing hard, has a swollen or tight belly, or has pale gums. Quieter signs matter too: lethargy, drinking much more or much less, or reduced urination in the days after eating grapes, raisins, onions or garlic. Our guide to recognizing when your dog is in pain covers the subtler behavior changes to watch for.

Why Do Some of These Surprise Owners?

Onion and garlic powder in seasoned or prepared foods, xylitol in “healthy” sugar-free snacks, and small amounts of chocolate in baked goods are easy to underestimate because they don’t look obviously dangerous — but the toxic mechanism doesn’t require a large quantity or an unprocessed form.

A few everyday situations catch owners out most often:

Leftovers and gravies: curries, dal and tadka, stews, pizza and gravy are often built on onion and garlic.
“Healthy” swaps: raisins in trail mix, granola and baked goods; xylitol in sugar-free gum, some peanut butters and chewable vitamins.
Baking: raw yeast dough left to rise, cocoa powder and baking chocolate.
Bins and compost: moldy dairy, pasta and nuts such as walnuts can carry tremor-causing mold toxins, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual.

Toxic foods for dogs arranged for identification on a counter — Keeping these foods reliably out of reach prevents the majority of accidental ingestions.

What Practical Safety Habit Helps Most?

Keep these foods reliably out of reach, be cautious about what falls or gets shared “accidentally” at the table, and make sure everyone in the household — including guests — knows which common foods are actually dangerous. Most toxic ingestions happen through unintentional access, not deliberate feeding, which makes prevention largely about consistent kitchen and counter discipline. A lidded bin and a “nothing from the table” rule for visitors and children go a long way.

Older dogs need extra care: some foods that are fine for a healthy adult become risky with age, as our guide to foods that are fine for adult dogs but risky for seniors explains. If you share your home with other pets, the danger list differs by species; see our lists of human foods toxic to cats and foods toxic to pet birds. Avocado, for example, is a far bigger threat to birds than to dogs.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace guidance from your veterinarian.

Sources

ASPCA — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
ASPCA — The Top 10 Toxins of 2025, March 2026
Merck Veterinary Manual — Grape, Raisin, and Tamarind Toxicosis in Dogs, September 2024
Merck Veterinary Manual — Chocolate Toxicosis in Animals, February 2026
Merck Veterinary Manual — Xylitol Toxicosis in Dogs, June 2025
Merck Veterinary Manual — Garlic and Onion (Allium spp) Toxicosis in Animals, September 2024
Merck Veterinary Manual — Macadamia Nut Toxicosis in Dogs, September 2024
Merck Veterinary Manual — Bread Dough Toxicosis in Animals, August 2025
Merck Veterinary Manual — Avocado (Persea spp) Toxicosis in Animals, September 2024
Merck Veterinary Manual — Tremorgenic Neuromycotoxicosis in Dogs, September 2024
Pet Poison Helpline — Xylitol
Pet Poison Helpline — Veterinarians Warn Pet Owners About Halloween Dangers
Pet Poison Helpline — Hydrogen Peroxide to Induce Vomiting, May 2026
Pet Poison Helpline — Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

What human food is most dangerous for dogs?

Grapes, raisins and xylitol are among the most dangerous, because small amounts can cause kidney failure (grapes and raisins) or a sudden blood sugar crash and liver failure (xylitol). Pet Poison Helpline says any grape or raisin ingestion should be treated as a poisoning, since some dogs react at any dose. Chocolate is the food most often reported, but its risk depends on the type and amount.

Is a small amount of chocolate actually dangerous for dogs?

It depends on the type of chocolate and the size of the dog. Pet Poison Helpline notes that a 50-pound dog can be sickened by one ounce of baker's chocolate, while it may take up to eight ounces of milk chocolate to poison the same dog. White chocolate contains very little of the toxic compounds. Call your vet or a poison hotline with the product name and amount rather than guessing.

Why are onions and garlic toxic to dogs?

They contain sulfur compounds that damage red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. This applies to raw, cooked and powdered forms, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes garlic is 3–5 times more toxic than onion. Signs usually appear a few days after the meal, so a dog that looks fine the same evening is not in the clear.

How much xylitol is toxic to a dog?

The Merck Veterinary Manual links doses above about 100 mg/kg (45 mg/lb) to dangerously low blood sugar, and doses above about 500 mg/kg (227 mg/lb) to possible liver failure. Xylitol content varies widely between products and even between flavors of the same gum, so you can't judge the risk by eye. Call your vet or a poison hotline with the package in hand.

Should I make my dog throw up if it ate something toxic?

Not unless a veterinarian or poison-control toxicologist tells you to. Vomiting is only appropriate in some cases and at the right time, and current Merck guidance favors licensed veterinary emetic drugs over hydrogen peroxide. Call first; they will tell you whether to induce vomiting at home or come straight in.

My dog ate a grape but seems fine. Do I still need a vet?

Yes. Kidney failure from grapes and raisins typically develops 24–72 hours after ingestion, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that once a dog stops producing urine, most die or are euthanized. Treatment works best before signs appear, so call your vet or a poison hotline straight away.