Foods & Household Items Dangerous to Dogs
By Maddie Ruud
Whether you are looking to adopt your first pet, or you are a veteran dog owner, it's important to be aware of the environment you are providing for your furry friends. You may have heard that some foods, like chocolate, are poisonous to dogs, but that's only part of the whole story. Many everyday objects and substances are harmful (and can even prove fatal!) to dogs.
This hub lists in alphabetical order human foods, common plants, and household items toxic or dangerous to your canine companions. It's a good idea to print it out and give your house and yard a good going over to make sure these things are all out of the dog's reach, to ensure the safety of your pet.
We all want to provide a loving home for our pets. Let's make sure it's a safe one too.
Foods
In general, foods that are spoiled or moldy, and those that are especially salty, fatty, or sugary should not be given to your dogs. In addition, avoid leaving tobacco products, caffeine, or alcohol where dogs can reach them.
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- Alcohol
- Avocados
- Candy
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Onions
- Garlic
- Grapes
- Gum
- Macadamia Nuts
- Raisins
- Salt
- Tea
- Yeast
Plants
Lilies, ferns, and ivy are among the many plants hazardous to your dog. Specific varieties, as well as other dangerous plants are listed below.
- Heavenly Bamboo
- Hemlock
- Honeysuckle
- Hurricane Plant
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- Iris
- Jerusalem Cherry
- Jimson Weed
- Kalanchoe
- Lantana
- Lily of the Valley
- Lupine
- Marble Queen
- Morning Glory
- Mother-In-Law
- Mountain Laurel
- Narcissus
- Needlepoint Ivy
- Nephthysis
- Nightshade
- Oleander
- Panda
- Peace Lily
- Philodendron
- Precatory Bean
- Privet
- Red Emerald
- Rhododendron
- Ribbon Plant
- Sago Palm
- Satin Pathos
- Schefflera
- Striped Dracaena
- Sweetheart Ivy
- Tulip
- Wisteria
- Yew
- Yucca
- Aloe
- Amaryllis
- Andromeda Japonica
- Asian Lily
- Asparagus Fern
- Australian Nut
- Autumn Crocus
- Azalea
- Belladonna
- Bird of Paradise
- Bittersweet
- Black Locust
- Branching Ivy
- Buckeye
- Buddhist Pine
- Caladium
- Calla Lily
- Castor Bean
- Ceriman
- Clematis
- Cordatum
- Corn Plant
- Cycads
- Cyclamen
- Daffodil
- Daylily
- Devil's Ivy
- Dieffenbachia
- Dumbcane
- Easter Lily
- Elephant Ears
- Emerald Fern
- English Ivy
- Eucalyptus
- Florida Beauty
- Foxglove
- Glacier Ivy
- Gladiolas
- Gold Dust Dracaena
- Golden Pathos
Household Items
All medications, cleaning products, and garden fertilizers and pesticides need to be sealed and say stored safely out of your dog's environment. Some of the worst offenders are listed below.
Pest Control
- Ant poison
- Fly bait
- Insect repellent
- Mothballs
- Slug & snail bait
- Rat poison
Other
- Lead
- Lighter fluid
- Liquid potpourri
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Medications
- Acetominophen
- Anti-cancer drugs
- Antidepressents
- Aspirin
- Cold & Flu medicines
- Diet Pills
- Ibuprofen
- Vitamins
Cleaning Products
- Bleach
- Detergents
- Disinfectants
- Drain cleaners
- Fabric softener
- Lime & Scale removers
- Oven cleaners
- Soap
- Solvents
Comments
seriously, rat poison is bad for dogs...
Awesomely thorough list. The only two I don't agree with is avocado (it is only the pit/skin) & garlic (it can be given in moderation to prevent fleas & ticks).
Thank you for the list. I used to give my pits anything but chocolate. I'll be correcting this behavior right now. I didn't know I was hurting my two best buddies until now. I'm sorry Ollie & Willie, I'll be a better human from now on. Promise.
i know of a dog once who died through eating farley rusks so theres a clue i heard that it doesn ot digest in there stomache and in fact ballons inside them which is very dangerous
Really good hub. But one question is paper and peppermints bad for a dog?
Hey I have a question, my dog keeps pooping like every day in the house. She didn't used to do that before. What do you think is causing that? I am very scared for her and I dnt want her to get hurt. Please respond!!
My dog ate my flash drive, it's only a half sized one and extremely small. Do you think that would hurt him?
Thanks for the info. I feed my 8 month Chocolate Lab Apples with the core removed [I heard the seeds are toxic to dogs], I put a couple of goodo's in the hole & she plays with the apple for ages before eating. she also loves Carrots, Broccoli stems & manderines with seeds removed. Are any of these things bad for her that you know of?
thankyou for the info. i always thought i was a bad person for not giving my dog a taste of what me and my family were eating. but after reading your blog i will never give my dog anything from the tabel again.
Thanx for the list, i was just having a go at my dad coz he gives his dog chocolate and had to explain to him all about theobromine, then had a quick search for other stuff and found myself here, i was quite shocked with some of the things on here so thanx again
I didn't know there was so much plants that are poisonous to dogs! thanks so much!
i have a fat golden retriever. he is a purebreed. he is a baby but is overweight. wait she s a girl. we lost 2 pounds.
well that's good help now i know what's foods i can't feed my dog he is a chihuahua about 6 years old and about 11 pounds he is big chihuahua not because of his weight so that's not a problem lol
My dog chews on cardboard all the time as well...she LOVES paper towel rolls when they are empty! The glue on the cardboard isn't that great for them (as it wouldn't be for us), but there is nothing wrong with them tearing up the cardboard as long as they aren't eating it. My Ridgeback is a HUGE counter-surfer so I have to take special care to keep all vitamins and other items out of reach...thankfully when she snags the paper towels I don't have to worry! :)
my dog Sonny has a thing for chewying cardborad. Either its from a hardback book, a note book (wich, most of them has a hole in the middle of the back), or just a box, he will attack at full force! He hasn't gotten sick or anything, but I was wondering if cardboard is okay for dogs..
is lysol spray toxic to dogs
what other kinds of liquid is it safe for dogs to drink besides water?
is milk ok?.. juice left in the lil fruit cups?
etc...
my dog has snuck most of the bad foods on this list at one time or another, it is tooo funny watching my dog eat a grape though, she cant keep it in her mouth, and she will be chasing it across the floor,, i stoped giving them to her when i found out they were poisonous.
my friend gave her dog a piece of a sandwich with cheese on it do you think that could hurt him I THOUGT IT COULD
We gave our 2 month old standered poodle a rubber teether and she tore it in half, so only use vet approved teethers or teethers that are nylabones. If you give dogs banannas it is fine once in a while but always remember NO CHOCOLATE!!!
My puppy (7 month old Pomapoo) was taken to the vet because she kept hacking like there was something stuck in her throat. Come to find out, her throat was inflamed and raw. She was put on antibiotics just in case it turned into an infection. What could have caused this? I have been spraying down the laundry room with Lysol when I clean up her pee-pee mess. She usually isn't in the laundry room at the time but sometimes she might come in. Could this have caused her throat irritation?
Thanks Maddie, I appreciate all the helpful information.
WOww..I didn't know this. Very essential tips for pet owners!
Very informative. We just got my lil sis a puppy (Chocolate Lab) for Christmas so it's good to know these things since they are very energetic dogs.
PSYou left out the most important things of all:
Dog toys of many varieties. All rawhide being one of the worst. Especially all rawhide toys NOT made in USA. They are treated with extremely dangeous chemicals, including formaldehyde and others. Rope toys which can unravel and tie up the intestines and kill your dog. Squeakers in rubber and plastic toys. Any kind of string or thin rope also of course. Socks. One sock killed a Golden Retriever. He stopped eating for three days and by the time his owners took him to the ER and they opened him up, necropsy/gangrene had set in in his blocked intestines and he could not be saved. There are so many unsafe objects that are not even chew toys, it's unbelievable. I worked for a vet and have seen it all!
Just the list we have been looking for! Thank you so much!
Thanks for the list. I knew about chocolate but not coffee and tea. I do give my dog leftover bread sometimes. And when I eat popcorn, I make sure a few pieces fall for her.
Incredible! Great hub!
Great list! I have printed it out for reference! Thanks
Thats a great list, my shelties have been drinking about a 1/4 cup of coffee every day for about 12 years. but the one item i see you didnt list is antifreeze. there is a harmless antifreeze that wont harm pets.
Many years ago the mother of my God Daughters, sprayed her basement for spiders. The new puppy got very sick and soon died. The Vet. reported later that the puppy's stomach was full of poisoned bugs, crickets and grasshoppers. It was a terrible thing to watch the puppy suffer, and it died quicker than anything could be done to stop the poison.
Great list Maddie! I have the foods that are toxic to dogs in my new puppy hub, but I didn't think about adding all of this. I'm definitely going to link this hub to that one.
Maddie
Great Hub, with a lot of good info. I second your suggestion to only feed dogs "dog food", it is much healthier for them in the long run. My dog has never had "people food" hence he doesn't beg or bug us when we eat.
Raw yeast is more of a problem than cooked, and there isn't a significant amount of salt in bread, but it still isn't the easiest for them to metabolize. Better to feed dog food to dogs, and save the people food for people.
Salt and yeast? Bread contains both, is it toxic to dogs? I feed the dogs leftover bread. :O
Awsome job, Maddie! There are things on this list I would have never dreamed of! I just don't know how my dogs have survived all these years! LOL. Thanks for all the great info!
Bonnie
Brilliant itemised hub, Yes my dog used to help himself to the grapes off the vines. So cut them off. I knew about onions and chocolate. and some plants
I should send the link of this hub to my sister, she always give her leftover coffee or tea to her dogs.
Great hub! I've been waiting for this one! :D
Nice hub! I used to give my dog grapes a couple of years ago, until I found out they were on the poisonous list last year (I never knew) - now I stick to Natural Balance dog food, boiled chicken, and doggie biscuits.
I hope I did now hurt him at all, I love him so much!!
I believe that baby aspirin (for pain) is okay. That is what my vet told me.
Millionaire Tips 4 weeks ago
This is a great list and a great reference. I'll be sure to keep a printout handy so I can avoid the dangers.