Which foods are toxic to dogs and cats, and at what dose
5 of the 5 hazardous foods below carry a published dose threshold — the amount, per kilogram of bodyweight, at which harm actually starts — quoted from the source that published it. Almost no "can dogs eat X" page on the open web prints that number, and it is the only thing that separates a phone call from a car journey.
Every entry states the verdict, the dose where a real one exists, and what the vet visit costs from our own price dataset. Where no threshold has been published we say so rather than inventing one, and we never convert a milligram figure into "how many squares" — the conversion depends on the specific product, and getting it wrong in either direction is dangerous.
If your pet has already eaten something: ASPCA Animal Poison Control is on (888) 426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline on 855-764-7661, both 24/7. Both charge a per-incident consultation fee. Call before you wait for signs.
14 foods in the dataset, 14 with a full page. Jump to: Toxic (5) · Safe in limits (6) · Safe (3)
Toxic — contains an identified poison with a dose response
- Chocolate
Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats. Merck Veterinary Manual puts the first-harm dose at 20 mg of methylxanthines per kg of bodyweight. The next rung up is 40-50 mg/kg.
If it goes wrong, a veterinary urgent care visit costs $85 to $150. Also searched as: cocoa, cacao, dark chocolate, baking chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa bean mulch.
- Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and Raisins are toxic to dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual puts the first-harm dose at more than one grape or raisin per 4.5 kg (10 lb) of bodyweight.
If it goes wrong, a veterinary urgent care visit costs $85 to $150. Also searched as: raisins, sultanas, currants, zante currants, grape juice, cream of tartar, tamarind.
- Mushrooms
Mushrooms are toxic to dogs and cats. Merck Veterinary Manual puts the first-harm dose at 0.5 mg of methyl-gamma-amanitin per kg of bodyweight. The next rung up is A lethal dose of amanitins, or pieces of Amanita phalloides.
If it goes wrong, a veterinary urgent care visit costs $85 to $150. Also searched as: mushroom, wild mushrooms, lawn mushrooms, garden mushrooms, toadstools, death cap, death angel, Amanita phalloides, Galerina marginata, button mushrooms, portobello.
- Onions and Garlic
Onions and Garlic are toxic to dogs and cats. Merck Veterinary Manual puts the first-harm dose at 5 g of raw onion (cats) - or less than a teaspoon of cooked onion per kg of bodyweight, for cats. The next rung up is 15-30 g/kg of raw onion, in dogs.
If it goes wrong, a veterinary urgent care visit costs $85 to $150. Also searched as: onion, garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, onion powder, garlic powder, onion soup mix, Allium.
- Xylitol
Xylitol is toxic to dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual puts the first-harm dose at more than approximately 100 mg of xylitol per kg of bodyweight (45 mg/lb). The next rung up is more than 500 mg/kg (227 mg/lb).
If it goes wrong, a veterinary urgent care visit costs $85 to $150. Also searched as: birch sugar, wood sugar, sugar-free sweetener, E967, sugar alcohol.
Safe in limits — edible in some forms and amounts, harmful in others
- Avocado
Avocado is safe for dogs and cats only in some forms and amounts. No dose threshold has been published for avocado: the risk turns on which part is eaten rather than on an amount, and the toxic principle is persin - the toxin in avocado, and the reason avocado is dangerous to birds, rabbits, horses and ruminants rather than to dogs and cats.
A dog bowel obstruction surgery costs $1,200 to $7,976. Also searched as: avocados, Persea americana, alligator pear, aguacate, Hass avocado, guacamole, avocado pit, avocado stone.
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon is safe for dogs and cats only in some forms and amounts. No dose threshold has been published for cinnamon: the risk turns on which part is eaten rather than on an amount, and the toxic principle is coumarin - concentrated in cassia cinnamon, which is what ordinary supermarket ground cinnamon almost always is.
A routine vet checkup (wellness exam) costs $56 to $130. Also searched as: ground cinnamon, cinnamon powder, cinnamon sticks, cassia, cassia cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia, Ceylon cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, cinnamon essential oil.
- Corn
Corn is safe for dogs and cats only in some forms and amounts. There is no toxic dose threshold for corn, because there is no toxic principle to have one.
A dog bowel obstruction surgery costs $1,200 to $7,976. Also searched as: sweetcorn, sweet corn, corn on the cob, corn cob, corncob, maize, Zea mays, corn kernels, popcorn, corn meal.
- Marshmallows
Marshmallows are safe for dogs and cats only in some forms and amounts. No dose threshold has been published for marshmallows: the risk turns on which part is eaten rather than on an amount, and the toxic principle is xylitol - present only in sugar-free and reduced-sugar varieties, where it may be labelled birch sugar or wood sugar. ordinary sugar marshmallows contain no toxic principle at all.
A veterinary urgent care visit costs $85 to $150. Also searched as: marshmallow, mini marshmallows, sugar-free marshmallows, keto marshmallows, toasted marshmallows, s'mores.
- Oranges
Oranges are safe for dogs and cats only in some forms and amounts. No dose threshold has been published for oranges: the risk turns on which part is eaten rather than on an amount, and the toxic principle is essential oils and psoralens - present in the peel and plant material, not in the flesh.
A routine vet checkup (wellness exam) costs $56 to $130. Also searched as: orange, citrus, mandarin, clementine, tangerine, orange peel, Citrus sinensis.
- Papaya
Papaya is safe for dogs and cats only in some forms and amounts. There is no toxic dose threshold for papaya, because there is no toxic principle to have one.
A routine vet checkup (wellness exam) costs $56 to $130. Also searched as: papaya fruit, pawpaw, paw paw, Carica papaya, papaya seeds, dried papaya, green papaya.
Safe — no toxic principle, normal treat rules apply
- Beetroot
Beetroot is safe for dogs and cats in normal treat amounts. There is no toxic dose threshold for beetroot, because there is no toxic principle to have one.
A routine vet checkup (wellness exam) costs $56 to $130. Also searched as: beets, beet, beet root, red beet, sugar beet, Beta vulgaris, beet greens, pickled beetroot, beetroot juice.
- Cucumber
Cucumber is safe for dogs and cats in normal treat amounts. There is no toxic dose threshold for cucumber, because there is no toxic principle to have one.
A routine vet checkup (wellness exam) costs $56 to $130. Also searched as: cucumbers, garden cucumber, Cucumis sativus, cucumber slices.
- Green Beans
Green Beans are safe for dogs and cats in normal treat amounts. There is no toxic dose threshold for green beans, because there is no toxic principle to have one.
A routine vet checkup (wellness exam) costs $56 to $130. Also searched as: green bean, string beans, snap beans, french beans, runner beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, green bean diet.
Where the species scope comes from
A record's scope is the scope of the evidence, not a guess. Grapes and raisins are recorded for dogs because that is where the toxicity is documented; chocolate is recorded for dogs and cats. A page that answers the question for one species off a record established in another would be quoting a dose that was never established there, so the template refuses to widen a record's scope.