These types of questions come up all the time, and a general rule is most of the foods listed here may be okay in very small amounts, but can be toxic once a certain limit is reached. The best rule here is when it doubt, don’t feed it to your dog something you don’t know if it is dangerous or not. Keep your dog’s diet consistent and full of high quality foods and avoid feeding them things that at best give them an upset stomach or at worse may be fatal.
For example, macadamia nuts and dogs don’t play well together. After eating macadamia nuts your dog may feel weak, suffer from ataxia (poor muscle control), vomit and have diarrhoea. Even small quantities, e.g. 1 or 2 nuts, can have an effect, and eating larger quantities can need veterinary intervention or it may be fatal. Also the size of the dog is important, larger dogs will have less of an effect, but puppies and smaller dogs will feel the effects worse.
If your dog is food motivated, and most are, remember not to leave food or snacks unattended.
It’s always better to do a search before feeding your dog something that you are unsure it can eat. This can avoid a lot of stress and worry.
Spices like salt, onion powder, garlic are also not recommended for dogs. It’s best to keep dogs to their doggie foods and treats and leave the human food for us.
What do do if your dog eats X
In most cases when your dog ingests a small amount a vet visit won’t be necessary. The dog may feel unwell, get sick and feel tired. If your dog is having a reaction, monitor breathing, make sure they are comfortable and they have access to water. A call to your vet’s emergency phone number will be able to advise you on next steps. When in doubt a vet visit is the best thing to do.
Lists of foods to avoid feeding your dog
| Item | Danger |
| Onions, chives, garlic | Causes gastrointestinal irritation & red blood cell damage. These foods are present in a lot of human foods, so it’s best to avoid sharing your meals with your dog. |
| Chocolate | Contains theobromine and methylxanthines which is toxic to dogs and can cause kidney failure |
| Macadamia Nuts | Affects dogs muscles & nervous systems |
| Corn on the cob | The cob can cause blockages to your dogs digestive system. The corn itself can be digested |
| Avocado | Contains persin |
| Artificial Sweeteners | Sweeteners, like Xylitol, can cause your dog hypoglycemic, low blood sugar can can cause liver failure |
| Alcohol | Very dangerous even in small does. Causes diarrhoea and possible central nervous system issues |
| Cooked bones | Bones that are cooked splinter more easily and can cause constipation or perforate the gut |
| Grapes & Rasins | Known to cause livery and kidney damage in dogs. |
| Citrus (lemons, limes, etc.) | In small does can cause stomach upset, but larger doses it effects the central nervous systems. |
Can my dog eat chocolate?
Chocolate is dangerous for dogs and can cause livery failure.
Our recommendation is to avoid feeding chocolate to your dog.
Can my dog eat avocados ?
Avocados contain a toxin called persin, its present in higher quantities in the pit and and skin. The flesh of an avocado contains less of this toxin. It may be okay to feed your dog small quantities of the flesh, but should they eat the other parts it can be very serious. The pits are also obvious choking hazards for dogs and contain higher amounts of persin. Our recommendation is to avoid feeding avocados to your dog.
Items that contain avocado like guacamole are not suitable for dogs as they contain spices and other ingredients like garlic / onions that are not recommended for dogs.
