If your dog ate something on this list and is vomiting, shaking, weak or unusually restless, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control line now. In the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888 426 4435) and the Pet Poison Helpline (855 764 7661) answer around the clock; both charge a consultation fee.
From Thanksgiving to New Year, kitchens fill with foods that are harmless to people and dangerous to dogs. Most emergencies come from a short list: chocolate in baking, raisins in fruit breads, sugar-free desserts, onions in stuffing, cooked bones and fatty scraps. Here is why each one is a problem and how much it takes.
Chocolate, especially in baking
Chocolate contains theobromine, which dogs clear very slowly. The risk depends on the dose per kilogram of body weight: below about 20 mg/kg most dogs stay fine, 20 to 40 mg/kg usually brings restlessness, vomiting and a racing heart, and above 40 mg/kg is an emergency.
Holiday baking is the dangerous version. Unsweetened baking chocolate carries about 16 mg of theobromine per gram and cocoa powder about 26, against 2.4 for milk chocolate. One ounce of baking chocolate gives a 20 lb dog about 50 mg/kg, which is already in the emergency range. The same ounce of milk chocolate gives about 7.5 mg/kg.
Put your dog's weight and what it ate into the chocolate toxicity calculator for the exact figure, and read my dog ate chocolate for the full thresholds.
Grapes and raisins
Fruitcake, stollen, raisin bread and cookie trays hide raisins, and grapes sit on cheese boards. In some dogs they cause sudden kidney injury, and there is no known safe amount: some dogs eat a handful with no effect, others react to a few. Researchers suspect tartaric acid is the cause, which would explain why the reaction varies so much. Treat any amount as a reason to call the vet.
Xylitol in sugar-free desserts
Xylitol is a sweetener in sugar-free baking, gum, mints and some peanut butters. In dogs it triggers a large insulin release, and blood sugar can crash within an hour. Larger doses can damage the liver. Read the label of anything sugar-free before it goes near the dog, and keep guests' bags and coats, where gum lives, off the floor.
Onions, garlic and leeks
Stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole and many savory dishes contain onion or garlic in some form, including powders. These damage a dog's red blood cells, and the effect can appear days later as weakness, pale gums and fast breathing. Cooked, raw and powdered forms all count.
Cooked bones, turkey skin and fatty scraps
Cooked bones splinter and can tear the mouth, throat or gut, or block the intestines. Turkey skin, gravy, ham fat and buttery leftovers are a common trigger of pancreatitis, a painful inflammation that often needs hospital care. The plate scraping that feels like a treat is one of the most frequent causes of a holiday vet visit.
Other things on the list
- Macadamia nuts: weakness in the back legs, tremors and fever, usually passing in a day or two but frightening to watch.
- Raw yeast dough: keeps rising in the warm stomach and ferments into alcohol.
- Alcohol: eggnog, punch and unattended glasses. Dogs are far more sensitive than people.
- Salt dough ornaments: homemade decorations with enough salt to cause salt poisoning.
- If you also have a cat: lilies in holiday bouquets are deadly to cats, even the pollen.
What to do if your dog ate something
- Work out what and how much. Keep the wrapper or recipe, note the time, and weigh your dog if you can.
- Call before you act. Your vet, an emergency clinic or one of the poison lines above. Do not induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to; it is dangerous with some substances and some dogs.
- Go early. Within the first hours a vet can make the dog vomit and give activated charcoal, which prevents much of the absorption. Waiting for symptoms throws that window away.
Frequently asked questions
Can my dog have plain turkey?
A few pieces of plain, boneless, skinless white meat are fine for most healthy dogs. The problem is everything that usually comes with it: skin, gravy, seasoning and bones.
Are holiday treats a weight problem too?
Yes. Scraps add up fast, and a few hundred extra calories a day for six weeks shows on the scale by January. Check where your dog stands with is my dog overweight and keep the daily total in line with how many cups of dog food per day.
What about poinsettias?
Their reputation is worse than their effect: they can irritate the mouth and stomach but are rarely serious. Lilies for cats and the foods above are the real risks.
Is a small amount of chocolate cake dangerous?
It depends on the dog's weight and the cocoa content. A bite of milk chocolate cake rarely matters for a large dog; a slice of dark chocolate torte can for a small one. Run the numbers in the calculator and call if the result lands in the yellow or red zone.