Everyday foods and household plants can sometimes harm our beloved pets. To help navigate the danger, here is a compilation of common foods and plants that could be a hazard.
Toxic Foods
- Alcoholic beverages
- Apple seeds
- Apricot pits (they contain cyanide, which can be deadly)
- Avocados
- Cherry pits (they contain cyanide, which can be deadly)
- 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 (they contain tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate, which can cause kidney failure, vomiting, and diarrhea)
- Gum (can cause blockages and sugar-free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
- Hops (used in home beer brewing)
- Macadamia nuts (component within the nut is unknown, but the margin of safety following ingestion is small with just a few nuts leading to intoxication in a small to medium-sized dog)
- Moldy foods
- Mushroom plants
- Mustard seeds
- Onions and onion powder
- Peach pits (contains cyanide)
- Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
- Raisins
- Rhubarb leaves
- Salt
- Tea (because it contains caffeine)
- Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
- Walnuts (can put your dog at risk for developing pancreatitis)
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)
- Yeast dough
Please contact your veterinarian if you have any further questions or if your pet has ingested any toxic plant.
Toxic Plants
- Aloe Vera (contains a chemical called saponin, which is toxic to animals)
- Asparagus Plant
- Bird of Paradise (contains hydrocyanic acid and steroidal alkaloids)
- Chinese Evergreen
- Corn Plant
- Desert Rose
- Dumb Cane
- Elephant Ear (contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing or biting into this plant will release these crystals causing tissue penetration and irritation of the mouth and GI tract)
- Ivy
- Jade
- Oleander
- Peace Lily (Calcium oxalate crystals, aka needle-like crystals that are present in all parts of the peace lily plant, including the stem and leaves)
- Philodendron
- Pothos (contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that can damage a dog's mouth and gastrointestinal tract)
- Sago Palm
- ZZ Plant
Please refer to the poisonous plants database for a full list of toxic and non-toxic plants.
If you have any further questions or if your pet has ingested any toxic plant please contact your veterinarian.