---
title: "What dogs can and cannot eat"
description: "46 foods sorted for dogs: 10 toxic, 21 fine, and what each one actually does. Plus the ones commonly got wrong."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What dogs can and cannot eat

46 foods with a verdict for dogs specifically, because the answer genuinely differs by species — cats are several times more sensitive to onion than dogs, rabbits cannot vomit at all, and avocado is a mild caution for a dog and lethal for a bird.

> If this has already been eaten, ring your vet or an animal poison control line now rather than waiting for signs to appear — for several of these the window in which treatment works closes before the animal looks unwell. Do not try to make the animal sick at home: home emetics are dangerous for corrosive and petroleum substances and for an animal already showing signs, and salt-based ones have themselves proved fatal.

## Toxic — treat as an emergency

| Food | Why | Dose known? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chocolate | Dose-dependent. Dark and baking chocolate are dangerous in small quantities; milk chocolate needs much more. | Yes |
| Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants | Acute kidney failure. No safe quantity is known and it is not reliably dose-dependent. | No |
| Onion, garlic, leek and chives | Destroys red blood cells. Cooking, drying and powdering do not help — powders are more concentrated. | Yes |
| Xylitol and birch sugar | Triggers a massive insulin release, then hypoglycaemia, and at higher doses liver failure. | Yes |
| Chewing gum | Almost all sugar-free gum contains xylitol, and a few pieces are a serious dose. | No |
| Alcohol | Much lower tolerance than a person and a much smaller body to dilute it. | No |
| Coffee, tea and energy drinks | Same class of compound as chocolate, and more concentrated in coffee grounds or a caffeine tablet. | No |
| Macadamia nuts | Weakness, tremors and an inability to use the hind legs, usually within twelve hours. | Yes |
| Salt, salt dough and sea water | Large amounts cause hypernatraemia, which swells and damages the brain. | No |
| Raw bread dough | Two problems at once: the dough expands in the stomach, and the yeast produces alcohol. | No |

## Everything else

| Food | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peanut butter | In moderation | Fine — unless it contains xylitol, in which case it is an emergency. |
| Avocado | Risky | The flesh is not the problem. The stone is an obstruction risk and the fat can trigger pancreatitis. |
| Milk and cream | In moderation | Not toxic. Most adult dogs are lactose intolerant, so it means diarrhoea rather than danger. |
| Cheese | In moderation | A useful training treat. Watch the fat and salt, and avoid blue cheese specifically. |
| Cooked bones | Not safe | Cooking makes bone brittle, so it splinters into sharp fragments instead of crushing. |
| Lilies | Risky | True lilies cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs rather than kidney failure. |
| Apple | Safe | The flesh is fine. Core and seeds are worth removing, mostly for the choking risk. |
| Tuna | In moderation | Safe in small amounts; mercury is the reason not to make it routine. |
| Banana | In moderation | Safe. High in sugar, so a treat rather than a staple. |
| Carrot | Safe | Genuinely good as a low-calorie chew. Whole raw carrots can be a choking risk for enthusiastic eaters. |
| Corn on the cob | Not safe | The kernels are fine; the cob is one of the classic causes of intestinal obstruction. |
| Bacon, ham and fatty meat | Risky | Not toxic. Fat and salt make pancreatitis the real risk, and it can be severe. |
| Mushrooms | Risky | Supermarket mushrooms are fine. Wild ones are the emergency, and identification is not something to attempt. |
| Dog food, for a cat | In moderation | The reverse — cat food for a dog — is merely too rich, not dangerous. |
| Tomato | Risky | Ripe fruit is fine. Green fruit, leaves and stems contain tomatine. |
| Blueberries and strawberries | Safe | Genuinely good treats — small, low calorie, no stones. |
| Watermelon and melon | Safe | Flesh is safe and mostly water. Remove seeds and rind. |
| Almonds, walnuts and mixed nuts | Risky | Mostly not toxic, but high in fat, easy to choke on, and often salted. |
| Ice cream | Risky | Lactose, sugar and fat — and check for chocolate and xylitol. |
| Pumpkin | Safe | Plain cooked pumpkin is genuinely useful for mild digestive upsets. |
| Potato | Risky | Plain cooked potato is fine. Raw, green or sprouted potato is not. |
| Raw fish | Risky | Same thiaminase issue, plus parasite risk in raw salmon from the Pacific north-west. |
| Raw egg | Risky | Salmonella risk, and raw white binds biotin. Cooked egg has neither problem. |
| Cherries, peaches, plums and apricots | Risky | Flesh is fine. The stone is both an obstruction risk and a cyanide source. |
| Oranges, lemons and limes | In moderation | Orange flesh is harmless. Peel, pith and essential oils cause upset. |
| Bread | In moderation | Harmless and nutritionally pointless. Raw dough is a separate emergency. |
| Lettuce and leafy greens | Safe | Harmless, mostly water, of no particular benefit. |
| Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower | In moderation | Safe in small amounts. Isothiocyanates irritate the gut in quantity. |
| Popcorn | In moderation | Plain air-popped is fine. Butter, salt and unpopped kernels are the problems. |
| Yoghurt | In moderation | Plain live yoghurt is usually tolerated better than milk. Check for xylitol in low-sugar versions. |
| Honey | In moderation | Safe in small amounts. It is sugar, so the calories are the issue. |
| Coconut and coconut oil | In moderation | Not toxic. The medium-chain fats cause loose stools in quantity. |
| Peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels | Safe | All three are common ingredients in commercial dog food. |
| Nutmeg | Not safe | Myristicin causes disorientation, a raised heart rate and, in quantity, seizures. |
| Rhubarb | Not safe | The leaves are high in oxalic acid, which binds calcium and can damage the kidneys. |
| Cinnamon | In moderation | Not toxic, but irritating to the mouth and airways as a powder. |

## Read the full page

- [Can dogs eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/grapes/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat peanut butter?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/peanut-butter/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat avocado?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/avocado/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat milk and cream?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/milk/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cheese/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat cooked bones?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cooked-bones/) — Not safe
- [Can dogs eat lilies?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lilies/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat apple?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/apple/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat tuna?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/tuna/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat chewing gum?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chewing-gum/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat alcohol?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/alcohol/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat coffee, tea and energy drinks?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/caffeine/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat banana?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/banana/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat carrot?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/carrot/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat corn on the cob?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/corn-on-the-cob/) — Not safe
- [Can dogs eat bacon, ham and fatty meat?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bacon/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat mushrooms?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/mushrooms/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat dog food, for a cat?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog-food-for-cats/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat macadamia nuts?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/macadamia-nuts/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat salt, salt dough and sea water?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/salt/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat tomato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/tomato/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat blueberries and strawberries?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/blueberries/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat watermelon and melon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/watermelon/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat almonds, walnuts and mixed nuts?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/nuts/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat ice cream?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/ice-cream/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat pumpkin?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/pumpkin/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat raw bread dough?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bread-dough/) — Toxic
- [Can dogs eat potato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/potato/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat raw fish?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/raw-fish/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat raw egg?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/raw-egg/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat cherries, peaches, plums and apricots?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cherry/) — Risky
- [Can dogs eat oranges, lemons and limes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/citrus/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bread/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat lettuce and leafy greens?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lettuce/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/broccoli/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat popcorn?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/popcorn/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat yoghurt?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/yoghurt/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat honey?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/honey/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat coconut and coconut oil?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/coconut/) — In moderation
- [Can dogs eat peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/sweetcorn-and-peas/) — Safe
- [Can dogs eat nutmeg?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/nutmeg/) — Not safe
- [Can dogs eat rhubarb?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/rhubarb/) — Not safe
- [Can dogs eat cinnamon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cinnamon/) — In moderation

## Related pages

- [What cats can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/)
- [What rabbits can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/rabbit/)
- [What birds can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bird/)