Toxic Food Items for Dogs

Learn What Items in the Kitchen and Home Are Poisonous to Dogs

Aug 18, 2008

Salt, chewing gum, cigarettes: all of these food-related items and many more can be toxic to a dog. Learn what dangers and dog poisons lie in the home.

There’s an array of food-related items in the average kitchen and home that pose potential dangers to dogs. Chewing gum, salt, trash items, tobacco – items located in the kitchen and home that aren’t traditional food items, per se – can be acutely toxic to dogs when ingested.

Dr. Michael Levine, DVM, recently offered information on the following poison food-like items that are commonly involved in dog poisoning incidents.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a potentially deadly toxin for dogs, as it creates sudden drops in blood sugar that can lead to seizure and death. Xylitol is contained in chewing gum and candy as a sweetener, so it’s vital to keep dogs from accessing candy and gum packages. One common scenario involves the dog who raids his owner’s purse or backpack, accessing the potentially toxic chewing gum, so use caution any time you have gum in the home.

Trash Items

Trash should be secured in an inaccessible location, such as in the cabinet under the sink, or in a trash compactor. Potentially deadly or toxic food items should be disposed of in a covered outdoor trash barrel. Potato trimmings and potato eyes are deadly and damage the nervous system and kidneys. Apple Seeds contain potentially deadly arsenic. Moldy foods can contain toxins. Bones can cause intestinal obstructions. Cherry pits, cherry leaves, peach pits, avocado pits, apple cores can also be toxic or potentially dangerous to the digestive system. And fat trimmings from meat can cause a bout of potentially-deadly pancreatitis.

Salt

Salt, when ingested in large amounts or on a regular basis, can cause kidney failure and imbalances in a dog’s electrolyte levels. Notably, small amounts of salt can be safely utilized to induce vomiting in the event that other items used to induce vomiting – like hydrogen peroxide – are not available.

Tobacco

Tobacco contains nicotine, which in large amounts is toxic. So if a dog ingests even just a few cigarettes, this can lead to nervous system effects, vomiting, tremors, coma and death. Notably, even a human will die from nicotine toxicity from eating as few as 15 cigarettes.

Caffeine

Caffeine is potentially toxic to dogs. Like theorbromine in chocolate, caffeine toxicity over-stimulates the central nervous system. So keep items like soda, coffee, coffee grounds, coffee beans, and caffeinated tea out of a pet’s reach.

Other common foods that are toxic and poisonous to dogs include grapes, raisins, chocolate, avacado, garlic, onions, chocolate, tomatoes, potatoes, rhubarb, macadamia nuts, walnuts, mushrooms, raw eggs, and liver.

In the event of an emergency involving a pet who may have ingested a toxic food or other potentially deadly substance, pet owners are urged to contact a veterinarian and/or an animal poison control hotline, such as the ASPCA Poison Control Center, which can be contacted by calling 888-426-4435.