Can My Dog
Eat This?

Nothing filed under that. It may still not be safe: if a food is not on this list, check with your vet before you share it.

• Never Alcohol Dogs are far more sensitive than people. Includes anything baked with it.
• Never Black Walnuts Mold on the hulls produces toxins that cause tremors and seizures.
• Never Cherry Pits Cyanogenic, and an obstruction risk. The flesh itself is not the problem.
• Never Chives An allium. Common in dips and baked potato toppings.
• Never Chocolate Theobromine. Dark and baking chocolate are far more dangerous than milk.
• Never Coffee And Tea Caffeine. Grounds and used pods are the usual way dogs get a big dose.
• Never Cooked Bones Cooking makes bone brittle, and brittle bone splinters. Poultry bones especially.
• Never Corn On The Cob The kernels are fine. The cob is a classic obstruction and often needs surgery.
• Never Garlic Same damage as onion and more potent by weight. Powder is the worst form.
• Never Grapes Can cause acute kidney failure, and the toxic dose is not predictable from body weight.
• Never Hops Causes a dangerous rise in body temperature. Relevant if you brew at home.
• Never Leeks An allium, like onion and garlic.
• Never Macadamia Nuts Cause weakness, tremors and overheating at surprisingly low doses.
• Never Moldy Food Tremorgenic mycotoxins cause muscle tremors and seizures. Secure the compost.
• Never Nutmeg Myristicin causes disorientation and a raised heart rate. Common in fall baking.
• Never Onions Damages red blood cells. Raw, cooked and powdered are all toxic.
• Never Peach And Plum Pits Cyanogenic and large enough to block an intestine.
• Never Raisins Same toxin as grapes, concentrated. Watch for them in cookies and trail mix.
• Never Raw Or Green Potato Solanine. Cooked potato with no green patches is a different question.
• Never Raw Yeast Dough Rises in the stomach and ferments into alcohol.
• Never Rhubarb Leaves Oxalates, which can affect the kidneys.
• Never Salt And Salt Dough Large amounts cause sodium poisoning. Play dough ornaments are a real cause.
• Never Star Fruit High in oxalates and linked to kidney damage in dogs.
• Never Wild Mushrooms Some species cause fatal liver failure and none are identifiable in a hurry.
• Never Xylitol Causes a rapid insulin crash and liver failure. Check any sugar free product.
• In Moderation Almonds Not toxic, but hard to digest and a choking and obstruction risk.
• In Moderation Asparagus Safe but tough raw. Cook it and cut it small.
• In Moderation Avocado The flesh is low risk for dogs, but the pit is an obstruction hazard and the plant contains persin.
• In Moderation Bacon Fat and salt. A classic pancreatitis trigger in small and predisposed dogs.
• In Moderation Bread Plain baked bread is harmless but empty. Raw dough is genuinely dangerous.
• In Moderation Broccoli Nutritious, but isothiocyanates irritate the gut. Keep it under 10% of intake.
• In Moderation Brussels Sprouts Safe and famously gassy.
• In Moderation Cabbage Safe but produces a lot of gas. Cooked is easier than raw.
• In Moderation Cashews Very high in fat. A few plain unsalted ones will not hurt.
• In Moderation Cauliflower Safe, gassy. Cooked and in small amounts.
• In Moderation Cheese High in fat and most adult dogs are lactose intolerant. Small amounts only. Full guide on Cheese →
• In Moderation Cherries Pitted flesh only, and it is more trouble than it is worth.
• In Moderation Chicken Broth Only if it contains no onion or garlic and little salt. Most store broth does.
• In Moderation Chicken Nuggets Breaded, fried, salted and often seasoned with onion powder.
• In Moderation Chicken Skin Pure fat. A common pancreatitis trigger, especially around holidays.
• In Moderation Coconut Not toxic, but high in fat and can loosen stools. Husk is an obstruction risk.
• In Moderation Corn Kernels The kernels are digestible and common in dog food. Never the cob.
• In Moderation French Fries Salt and fat, cooked in oil. Not toxic, just a bad use of the treat budget.
• In Moderation Fried Chicken The fat and the seasoning are the problem, and the bones are worse.
• In Moderation Grapefruit Very acidic and the peel contains irritant oils. Most dogs refuse it anyway.
• In Moderation Ham Very salty and fatty, and often cured with garlic.
• In Moderation Honey Sugar. Small amounts are fine for adults, but not for puppies.
• In Moderation Ice Cream Sugar plus dairy, and some flavors hide chocolate or xylitol. Frozen banana works better.
• In Moderation Kale Oxalates again. Occasional small amounts.
• In Moderation Ketchup Sugar and salt, and many brands contain onion and garlic powder.
• In Moderation Lemon And Lime Acidic and the peel contains psoralens. Not worth offering.
• In Moderation Liver Excellent in small amounts. Too much causes vitamin A toxicity over time.
• In Moderation Mango Flesh is fine peeled. The pit is a choking and obstruction hazard.
• In Moderation Marshmallows Sugar, and sugar free ones may contain xylitol. Check before you share.
• In Moderation Milk Most adult dogs lose the ability to digest lactose. Expect loose stools.
• In Moderation Oranges Flesh only, in small amounts. Acidic and sugary. No peel.
• In Moderation Pasta Plain cooked pasta is harmless and empty. Sauce is where the onion and garlic are.
• In Moderation Peaches Flesh in small amounts is fine. The pit is not.
• In Moderation Peanut Butter Fine plain, but read the label first: some brands are sweetened with xylitol.
• In Moderation Peanuts Plain and unsalted, shelled. Not salted or honey roasted.
• In Moderation Pineapple Fresh only, in small pieces. High in sugar and acid. Skip the core and skin.
• In Moderation Pistachios High fat, and the shells are a hazard.
• In Moderation Pizza Fat, salt, cheese, and usually garlic or onion in the sauce.
• In Moderation Plums Same as peaches: flesh yes, pit no.
• In Moderation Popcorn Plain air popped is fine. Butter, salt and unpopped kernels are the problems.
• In Moderation Pork Plain cooked lean pork is fine. Cured pork is too salty and fatty.
• In Moderation Potatoes Plain cooked potato with no green is fine and is mostly starch. Raw or green is not. Full guide on Potatoes →
• In Moderation Raw Chicken Salmonella and campylobacter risk to your dog and to your household.
• In Moderation Raw Eggs Salmonella risk, and raw white binds biotin. Cooked is strictly better.
• In Moderation Raw Fish Never raw salmon or trout in the Pacific Northwest: salmon poisoning disease is fatal untreated.
• In Moderation Sausage Fat, salt, and usually seasoned with onion or garlic.
• In Moderation Shrimp Cooked, shelled and deveined. Raw shellfish carries parasites.
• In Moderation Soy Sauce Extremely high in sodium. A large amount is a genuine risk.
• In Moderation Spinach High in oxalates. Fine occasionally, not daily, and worth avoiding with a stone history.
• In Moderation Store Bought Mushrooms Plain and cooked are fine. The danger is wild ones, not supermarket ones.
• In Moderation Tomatoes Ripe flesh is fine. Green fruit, leaves and stems contain solanine.
• In Moderation Tuna Mercury accumulates. Occasional small amounts, in water not oil or brine.
• In Moderation Turkey Plain cooked meat is excellent. Skin, bones and seasoning are not.
• In Moderation Walnuts English walnuts upset stomachs and mold easily. Black walnuts are toxic.
• In Moderation Yogurt Plain and unsweetened only. Never a sugar free one.
• Safe Apples Flesh is excellent. Remove the core and the seeds. Full guide on Apples →
• Safe Bananas High in sugar for a fruit, so small pieces. Never the peel. Full guide on Bananas →
• Safe Beef Plain cooked and lean. Trim the fat.
• Safe Bell Peppers Fine raw or cooked, seeds and stem removed. Red are the most nutritious.
• Safe Blackberries Low sugar and high fiber.
• Safe Blueberries The best fruit on this list: low sugar and already the right size to portion. Full guide on Blueberries →
• Safe Butternut Squash Cooked and plain. Similar to sweet potato.
• Safe Cantaloupe Flesh only, no rind. Sweeter than watermelon so smaller portions.
• Safe Carrots Low calorie and useful. Cut into sticks rather than rounds. Full guide on Carrots →
• Safe Celery Very low calorie. Cut across the strings.
• Safe Chicken Plain cooked, boneless and skinless. One of the most digestible proteins there is. Full guide on Chicken →
• Safe Chicken Liver Nutrient dense in small amounts. Too much means too much vitamin A.
• Safe Cottage Cheese Plain and low fat. Lower in lactose than most dairy.
• Safe Cranberries Safe but bitter, and most dogs turn them down. Never the sweetened dried ones.
• Safe Cucumber Almost entirely water. Ideal for a dog on a diet.
• Safe Eggs Cooked, plain, no butter or salt. Close to a complete protein. Full guide on Eggs →
• Safe Green Beans The best treat on this list for an overweight dog. Plain, no salt.
• Safe Kiwi Peeled and in small pieces.
• Safe Lamb Plain cooked. Higher in fat than poultry.
• Safe Lettuce Harmless and nearly calorie free, though not worth much.
• Safe Oatmeal Plain, cooked with water. No sugar, no milk, no flavored packets.
• Safe Papaya Flesh only, seeds removed.
• Safe Pears Flesh is fine. Remove the core and seeds like an apple.
• Safe Peas Fine fresh or frozen. Common in dog food as a starch source.
• Safe Pumpkin Plain canned pumpkin, not pie filling. Genuinely helps regulate stools.
• Safe Quinoa Plain cooked. Rinse it first.
• Safe Raspberries Fine in small amounts. Contain a trace of natural xylitol, so do not overdo it.
• Safe Rice Plain cooked. White rice is the one to use for an upset stomach.
• Safe Salmon Cooked and deboned. A good source of omega 3. Never raw.
• Safe Sardines In water, no added salt. Small bones are soft enough to be safe.
• Safe Strawberries Mostly water. Watch the sugar and cut them down for small dogs. Full guide on Strawberries →
• Safe Sweet Potato Cooked, plain, no skin. More starch and calories than it looks.
• Safe Watermelon Seedless flesh only, never the rind. About 92 percent water. Full guide on Watermelon →
• Safe White Fish Cooked and deboned. Lean and easy to digest.
• Safe Zucchini Low calorie and well tolerated.