Leftovers, snacks and baking are easy to share by accident, and some ordinary foods can make dogs and cats seriously ill. Dogs Trust and Cats Protection each publish lists of foods to avoid. This article summarises those lists for dogs and for cats separately, because the two species differ. It is general welfare information from UK charities. It gives no treatment advice, and a vet should be contacted immediately if a pet may have eaten something on these lists.
Foods Dogs Trust says dogs must never have
Dogs Trust lists these as toxic:
- Chocolate, including cocoa powder and other chocolate products. Small amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and higher doses can cause seizures or death. A vet can advise how serious a case is based on the dog’s size and how much was eaten, and packaging should be kept to hand for the vet.
- Onions, garlic, leeks and chives, which can cause anaemia even when thoroughly cooked. Dogs Trust notes that gravy often contains one or more of them.
- Ethanol. This is found in alcoholic drinks, some medications, perfume, mouthwash and hand sanitisers. Dogs Trust says it can also come from eating uncooked bread and pizza dough, which produce ethanol inside a dog’s body.
- Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants, fresh or dried, which can cause kidney failure. They can be hidden in fruit cake, mince pies, malt loaf, snack bars and scones, and any amount is potentially dangerous.
- Xylitol, which can be listed as E967, a sweetener used in sugar-free gum, mints, sweets, some baked goods, some peanut butter and dental products. Dogs Trust says it can cause a dramatic crash in blood sugar and liver failure, with signs sometimes appearing in under an hour and sometimes taking up to 12 hours.
- Avocado, which contains a toxin called persin. Dogs Trust advises treating all parts of avocado as potentially dangerous.
- Tea, coffee and hot chocolate, which contain caffeine and theobromine.
- Macadamia nuts, where even a tiny amount can make a dog seriously ill.
- Corn on the cob, because the cob can block the intestines, which Dogs Trust says needs emergency surgery and can be fatal.
For each item, the charity’s instruction is the same: speak to a vet, and for onions and related foods it adds not to wait and see.
Foods to be careful with
Dogs Trust says bones are not the safe treat popular culture suggests. They can cause constipation, block the throat or gut, or fatally pierce the gut, so family and friends should be told not to give bony leftovers such as chicken drumsticks. It advises asking a vet before giving any chew and supervising chewing. The page also lists foods dogs can usually have in moderation, such as bananas, blueberries, carrots, broccoli, and apples without the core.
Foods Cats Protection says cats should not have
Cats Protection says it generally does not recommend feeding cats human food, because many foods intended for people can be harmful and do not contain the nutrition cats need. It describes cats as meat eaters that need a diet made for them. Its list of human foods that are toxic or unsuitable is:
- alcohol and alcohol-containing products, including household products containing ethanol, methanol or isopropanol;
- avocado, which contains persin and is high in fat;
- chocolate, coffee and caffeine-containing foods, which contain methylxanthines. Cats Protection calls chocolate a “complete no-no”;
- grapes, raisins and currants, which can cause kidney failure in cats, with cats that have chronic kidney disease possibly at greater risk;
- onion and garlic and other members of the allium family, fresh, cooked or dried, which can lead to anaemia;
- raw meat, fish and eggs, which may contain harmful bacteria and parasites, and raw bones, which raise the risk of choking or blockage;
- dairy, since most cats are lactose intolerant, and lactose-free or plant-based cheeses that may contain ingredients toxic to cats;
- nuts such as macadamia, almonds and walnuts, which contain high amounts of oils and fats;
- raw yeast dough, which produces some alcohol and carbon dioxide and can expand in the stomach and cause an obstruction.
On cooked chicken, Cats Protection says it should be boiled where possible, free of bones and only part of the daily food allowance, because feeding only cooked chicken long-term can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Canned tuna made for people should not be fed regularly because it lacks essential nutrients and can be high in salt and mercury.
Differences between dogs and cats
The two lists overlap on chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, avocado, grapes and dried vine fruit, onion and garlic, macadamia nuts and uncooked yeast dough. Some items appear on one charity’s page and not the other, such as xylitol and corn on the cob for dogs and dairy and raw meat for cats. That difference reflects what each page covers and not necessarily that an item is safe for the other species, so a vet should be asked about anything not listed.
Preventing accidents
- keep chocolate, baking, sweets, sugar-free products and alcohol out of reach, including in bags and on low surfaces;
- ask visitors not to feed pets leftovers and check ingredient lists for xylitol, onion and dried fruit;
- keep dough rising out of pets’ reach;
- offer treats made for pets. Cats Protection suggests using a small portion of the cat’s usual food within its normal daily allowance, perhaps in a puzzle feeder.
Related guides on this site cover pet-safe houseplants and pet obesity.
The bottom line
Dogs Trust and Cats Protection agree that chocolate, grapes and dried vine fruit, onions and garlic, alcohol, avocado, caffeine and macadamia nuts should be kept away from pets, and that a vet should be contacted at once if any has been eaten. Dogs face additional risks from xylitol and corn cobs, and cats from raw foods, dairy and uncooked dough. The safest habit is to feed pets only food made for them and to keep human food out of reach.