With care

35 entries · show all

• Aubergine and artichoke~With careCooked aubergine and artichoke hearts are safe for most dogs in small amounts, though aubergine is a nightshade and can cause a reaction in some.
• Avocado~With careAvocado is widely over-stated as a dog poison. Dogs are relatively resistant to persin — the real risks are the stone causing an obstruction and the high fat content.
• Beans and pulses~With carePlain cooked beans are safe in small amounts. Raw and undercooked beans are not, and tinned baked beans and hummus are unsuitable for different reasons.
• Beetroot~With carePlain cooked beetroot is safe in small amounts. It is relatively high in oxalate and sugar, and pickled beetroot is far too salty and acidic.
• Bread~With carePlain baked bread is not toxic but has little to offer a dog beyond empty calories. Raw dough is a serious emergency, and some breads contain raisins or garlic.
• Breakfast cereal~With careA few plain low-sugar cereal pieces are harmless. The risk is what is mixed in — raisins, chocolate, nuts and xylitol all appear in cereals and granola.
• Broccoli~With careBroccoli is safe in small amounts but contains compounds that irritate the gut in quantity, and the stems can be a choking hazard.
• Butter and cooking oils~With careSmall amounts of plain oil are not toxic, but fat is the main dietary trigger for pancreatitis and these are the most concentrated calories in the kitchen.
• Cheese~With careMost dogs handle small amounts of plain cheese, and it makes an excellent training treat. Blue cheese is the exception and should be avoided entirely.
• Cinnamon, ginger and turmeric~With careThese spices are not toxic in the trace amounts found in food, though cinnamon powder can irritate the mouth and airways if inhaled.
• Coconut~With careSmall amounts of coconut flesh are not toxic, but it is very high in fat and the medium-chain triglycerides can cause loose stools.
• Dates and figs~With careDates and figs are not toxic, but they are extremely high in sugar and the stones must be removed. Fresh figs can also irritate the mouth.
• Eggshells~With careFinely ground, cooked eggshell is a usable calcium source, but only as part of a diet formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Coarse shell fragments are sharp.
• Honey~With careA small amount of honey is safe for most adult dogs. Avoid it in puppies under one year and in diabetic dogs.
• Ice cream~With careIce cream is not toxic in its plain form but combines lactose, sugar and fat. Chocolate and sugar-free varieties are genuinely dangerous.
• Milk and cream~With careSmall amounts of milk are not dangerous, but most adult dogs are lactose intolerant and will get an upset stomach.
• Nuts (general)~With careMost nuts are not poisonous, but they are fatty, salty and a choking and obstruction risk. Macadamias and walnuts are the two to avoid outright.
• Olives~With carePlain olives are not toxic, but nearly all olives sold are packed in brine and are extremely salty. The stones are a choking and tooth-fracture risk.
• Oranges, lemons and other citrus~With careA segment of peeled orange is harmless. The peel, pith and seeds contain essential oils that irritate the gut, and most dogs dislike citrus anyway.
• Pasta and noodles~With carePlain cooked pasta is safe but nutritionally empty. The sauce is almost always the problem — most contain onion and garlic.
• Peaches, plums and nectarines~With careThe flesh is safe once the stone is removed. The stone itself is a genuine hazard — see the stone fruit entry.
• Peanut butter~With carePeanut butter is fine and dogs love it — but you must check the label for xylitol first, every time. Some sugar-free brands contain enough to kill a small dog.
• Plain popcorn~With carePlain air-popped popcorn is safe. Butter, salt and toffee coatings are not, and unpopped kernels are a choking and tooth-fracture risk.
• Plain yogurt~With carePlain unsweetened yogurt is fine for most dogs in small amounts. Check the label for xylitol, and skip it if your dog is lactose intolerant.
• Pomegranate~With carePomegranate is not toxic but the tannins commonly cause vomiting, and the seeds are hard to digest.
• Prawns, shrimp and shellfish~With careThoroughly cooked, shelled shellfish is safe in small amounts. Raw shellfish and the shells are not.
• Raw eggs~With careCooked eggs are an excellent food for dogs. Raw eggs carry a salmonella risk and, if fed constantly, can interfere with a B vitamin.
• Raw meat~With careRaw meat is a genuine choice some owners make, but it carries real bacterial risks — to the dog and to the people in the house. Raw pork additionally risks a parasite.
• Seaweed and nori~With carePlain dried seaweed is safe in tiny amounts, but it is very high in iodine and salt. Never let a dog eat seaweed washed up on a beach.
• Shop-bought mushrooms~With carePlain shop-bought mushrooms are not toxic, but they are usually cooked with butter, onion or garlic. Wild mushrooms are a completely different and urgent problem.
• Spinach and leafy greens~With careLeafy greens are safe in small amounts. Spinach and kale are high in oxalate and are worth limiting in dogs with kidney or bladder stone problems.
• Sunflower, sesame, chia, flax and pumpkin seeds~With careMost plain seeds are safe in small amounts and some are genuinely useful. Poppy seeds are the exception and should be avoided.
• Tofu and soy~With carePlain tofu is not toxic and is a common protein in some dog foods, but soy is a frequent allergen and deep-chested breeds may be more prone to bloating on it.
• Tomatoes~With careRipe red tomato flesh is safe. Green unripe tomatoes and the leaves and stems of the plant contain solanine and should be avoided.
• Tuna~With careSmall amounts of plain tinned tuna in water are fine occasionally. Tuna is a large predatory fish and accumulates mercury, so it should not be a regular food.