When you least expect it, you come home to find your pet has eaten something from your garbage, the coffee or kitchen table, or your child’s backpack and you aren’t sure if it’s ok or not. Some foods that are considered good for people can be very dangerous for pets. The list below isn’t complete, but it gives you a good idea of what to avoid in general.  If you are unsure, you should call your local vet, or if after hours, call your 24 hr Emergency Vet. (You have one, right?)

The following foods may be dangerous to your pet

• Alcoholic beverages
• Apple seeds
• Apricot pits
• Avocados
• Cherry pits
• Candy (particularly chocolate—which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
• Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Gum (can cause blockages and sugar free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
• Hops (used in home beer brewing)
• Macadamia nuts
• Moldy foods
• Mushroom plants
• Mustard seeds
• Onions and onion powder
• Peach pits
• Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
• Raisins
• Rhubarb leaves
• Salt
• Tea (because it contains caffeine)
• Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
• Walnuts
• Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)
• Yeast dough

This information was compiled from various sources. For more information on foods that could be unsafe for pets, visit the ASPCA’s“People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets” page. For more information when your dog eats chocolate visit: Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter