Foods toxic to dogs, and what to do if your dog ate one

The foods most likely to poison a dog are chocolate, grapes and raisins, xylitol, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol, raw yeast dough and caffeine. If your dog ate one, call a poison line now, before signs start: ASPCA (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A fee may apply. Do not make your dog vomit unless told to.

Written by Justin Alcalde, AHA and American Red Cross instructor, CPR West Covina · Reviewed September 27, 2026

Read the video transcript

Your dog ate something toxic. Step 1. Grab the wrapper, note the amount and the time. Step 2. Call a poison line now, even if your dog seems fine. Step 3. Do not make them vomit unless a vet says so.

Grab the wrapper, note the amount and the time.
Call a poison line now, even if your dog seems fine.
Do not make them vomit unless a vet says so.

What do I do in the first 10 minutes?

Move your dog away
Take the rest of the food out of reach.
Keep the wrapper
The label tells the vet the ingredients and the strength.
Check your dog now
Collapsed, seizing or struggling to breathe: drive to the vet now.
Note the amount and time
Guess high if unsure. Add your dog's weight.
Call a poison line
ASPCA (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
Hold off on vomiting
Skip hydrogen peroxide; home vomiting needs a vet's go-ahead first.
Follow the advice, then go
Phone the clinic from the car and bring the package.

Both poison lines say they answer 24/7, and a fee may apply on either. Your own vet or the nearest emergency hospital can also help, so call whichever answers first. Save both numbers in your phone today, and keep the poisoning steps close by in PetAid, our free pet first aid app for iPhone.

Which foods are toxic to dogs?

Food	What it can do	First signs	Signs usually start	What to do
Chocolate and cocoa	Revs up the heart and nervous system	Vomiting, restlessness, thirst, then tremors	Within 6 to 12 hours	Call with the type, amount and weight
Grapes, raisins, Zante currants	Can damage the kidneys in some dogs	Vomiting or diarrhea	Within 6 to 12 hours; kidney failure in 24 to 72 hours	Call now, even for a few
Xylitol (birch sugar)	Can drop blood sugar and harm the liver	Vomiting, weakness, stumbling, collapse	Often 10 to 60 minutes, sometimes up to 24 hours	Go to the vet now, call on the way
Onions, garlic, chives, leeks	Breaks down red blood cells, which can lead to anemia	Tiredness, weakness, fast breathing, dark urine	Often 3 to 5 days later	Call; cooked and powdered count too
Macadamia nuts	Weakness and tremors, usually short lived	Weakness, wobbling, vomiting, overheating	Within 12 hours	Call; check for a chocolate coating
Alcohol	Acts like a sedative; can lower sugar and temperature	Vomiting, wobbling, sleepiness	Within 30 to 60 minutes	Go now if wobbly or sleepy
Raw yeast dough	Rises in the stomach and makes alcohol	Retching with nothing coming up, swollen belly	As the dough rises	Go to the vet now
Coffee, tea, energy drinks, caffeine pills	Same stimulant family as chocolate	Restlessness, pacing, fast heartbeat	Within a few hours	Call; grounds and pills are concentrated

Timings from the Merck Veterinary Manual, the FDA and VCA. Individual dogs vary, so call before signs appear.

Should I make my dog throw up?

Not on your own. The 2026 RECOVER First Aid Guidelines recommend against making a dog vomit at home after eating something toxic. Go to a vet instead, as soon as you can.

The reasons are practical. Hydrogen peroxide can injure the stomach lining. Vomiting at home can delay the trip, and it can make it harder for the vet to give activated charcoal. Older home remedy advice often says to reach for peroxide. Follow the 2026 guideline.

There is one exception. If a vet or poison line tells you to do it, for example because you are camping hours from a clinic, follow their instructions exactly. At the clinic, vets can often empty the stomach safely if the food was eaten recently.

How much chocolate is dangerous for my dog?

It depends on the type of chocolate and your dog's weight. Darker and more bitter means more of the stimulants theobromine and caffeine. The Merck Veterinary Manual reports mild signs from about 20 mg per kg of body weight, roughly 9 mg per pound.

Chocolate type	Stimulants per ounce	Relative danger	Mild signs possible in a 20 lb dog from about
White chocolate	1.1 mg	Very low	Not a realistic amount
Milk chocolate	64 mg	Moderate	About 3 oz
Dark or semisweet	150 to 160 mg	High	About 1 oz
Unsweetened baking	440 mg	Very high	Under half an ounce
Cocoa powder	807 mg	Highest	About a quarter ounce

Stimulant figures from the Merck Veterinary Manual; amounts calculated from them. A 40 lb dog needs about double, a 10 lb dog about half. Brands vary, so call anyway.

Merck reports heart problems from about two to two and a half times the mild amount, and seizures from about three times. White chocolate is not free of risk: the fat in any chocolate may trigger pancreatitis in some dogs.

Read the whole label. Chocolate cookies, cakes and bars can also contain raisins, macadamia nuts or xylitol, and those change the advice.

My dog seems fine. Do I still need to call?

Yes. Many of these foods take hours to show anything, and some take days. Chocolate signs usually start within 6 to 12 hours and can last up to 72 hours. Grape kidney damage often shows up 24 to 72 hours later. Onion and garlic anemia tends to appear after 3 to 5 days, and xylitol can take up to a day in some dogs.

A calm dog in the first hour is not proof it will stay calm. Calling early gives the vet the most choices, including emptying the stomach before the toxin is absorbed.

What if my dog ate xylitol and is wobbly?

Xylitol, also called birch sugar or wood sugar, is in some sugar-free gum, mints, toothpaste and peanut butters. The FDA says it can drop a dog's blood sugar within 10 to 60 minutes, though in some dogs serious signs can be delayed by up to 12 to 24 hours.

If your dog is weak or stumbling but not seizing, the 2026 RECOVER guidelines suggest rubbing corn syrup or honey on the gums, between the cheek and the back teeth. Only do it if you can reach the mouth without being bitten. Use up to about 2 teaspoons for a large dog, much less for a small one. Check that the syrup is not sugar-free, and do it on the way without delaying the trip.

Get to the vet now if

Your dog is trembling, stumbling, collapsed, seizing or struggling to breathe, is retching with nothing coming up, or ate anything with xylitol, grapes or raisins. Take the wrapper with you.

What should I tell the poison line or vet?

Have the package in hand. Give the exact product name, how much is missing, roughly when it happened, your dog's weight and any medicines it takes. Say what you have already seen, such as vomiting or pacing. If you are not sure how much was eaten, say so and give the largest possible amount.

Learn it properly

American Red Cross Cat and Dog First Aid, online at your own pace. $50, certificate when you finish.

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Keep the steps on your phone

PetAid for iPhone, for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, fish and reptiles. Free on the App Store.

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Questions people ask

Do the poison hotlines cost money?

Usually, yes. Pet Poison Helpline shows an $89 incident fee on its site, and ASPCA Animal Poison Control says a consultation fee may apply. If cost is a worry, your regular vet or an emergency hospital can also advise.

Can I give my dog charcoal at home?

Not unless a vet tells you to. Activated charcoal is dosed and timed at the clinic, and charcoal from a grill or fireplace is a different product.

My dog licked a little coffee. Is that an emergency?

Pet Poison Helpline says one or two licks of coffee, tea or soda is unlikely to poison most pets. Coffee grounds, beans, tea bags and caffeine pills are far stronger, so call for those.

Are all currants dangerous?

Zante currants, the small dried grapes used in baking, count as grapes. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that true currants, such as blackcurrants and redcurrants, have not been linked to kidney injury.

Are avocados toxic to dogs?

The ASPCA says avocado is mainly a problem for birds, rabbits, horses and grazing animals. If your dog ate a lot, a quick call to your vet is still reasonable.

More pet first aid

This is first aid, not veterinary care. Get to a vet or an emergency animal hospital as soon as the steps are done.

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