Pick the food, add your dog's weight and the amount. The answer starts with what to do.
Call your vet or an emergency clinic now.
If you cannot reach one, the Animal Poisons Helpline answers 24 hours a day on 1300 869 738. Have your dog's weight and what was eaten ready.
If you are worried, call now. The Animal Poisons Helpline is 1300 869 738. The four foods below are the ones asked about most, and for each the sources either give a lowest reported level or say plainly that there is none.
No safe amount is established. The Animal Poisons Helpline says the harmful compound varies between grapes and there is no reliable way to predict which dogs become unwell. Reported signs are vomiting, lethargy and diarrhoea, then kidney damage over the following one to three days. Call a vet straight away even if your dog looks well.
A sweetener in sugar-free gum, lollies, some peanut butters and baked goods. It can cause a sudden fall in blood sugar, and at higher doses liver failure. The lowest dose reported for low blood sugar in a case series is 0.03 g per kg, and earlier reviews give 0.1 g per kg for low blood sugar and 0.5 g per kg for liver failure. The Animal Poisons Helpline says signs can be delayed by many hours after a dog chews gum. Treat any ingestion as an emergency.
They damage red blood cells, which can lead to anaemia. Gut signs come first, and anaemia can follow after several days. Reviews report harm at about 0.5% of body weight, which is 5 g per kg, and a fatal garlic case is reported at a lower amount, so individual dogs vary. Akitas, Shiba Inus and Japanese Spitz are reported as more sensitive. Powders are more concentrated than the fresh figures here.
The harmful compound is unknown. Reports describe weakness, especially in the back legs, tremors and vomiting, usually within 3 to 24 hours and usually passing within a day or two. The lowest reported dose is 2.2 g per kg, and the range reported is very wide. Macadamia products often contain chocolate or xylitol as well, so check the label.
If you are not sure, use the larger guess.
Choose the food, enter the weight and amount. If your dog has already eaten any of these and you are worried, do not wait for this page.
Call your vet or an emergency clinic now.
If you cannot reach one, the Animal Poisons Helpline answers 24 hours a day on 1300 869 738. Have your dog's weight and what was eaten ready.
This is general information and arithmetic. It is not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.
g per kg = grams eaten / dog weight in kg
Compared with the lowest figure reported in the sources: 0.03 g/kg of xylitol, 5 g/kg of onion or garlic, 2.2 g/kg of macadamia. Grapes have no figure, so every amount shows the call-now advice.
Many everyday foods and plants are risky for dogs. See the Animal Poisons Helpline list of common poisons.
