Kitchen safety begins before the cooking begins.
This guide separates dangerous or potentially toxic ingredients from foods that are unsafe because of choking, obstruction, contamination, fat, or salt.
Not every item below is poisonous in every tiny exposure. Each item is excluded from the Starter Bowl because it does not belong in a safe beginner program.
Never feed
- Xylitol, sometimes labeled birch sugar or wood sugar. It may be found in sugar-free gum, candy, baked goods, toothpaste, supplements, and some peanut butters.
- Grapes and raisins, including foods containing them.
- Chocolate, cocoa, and cacao, especially dark chocolate and baking chocolate.
- Coffee, tea, energy drinks, caffeine pills, and other concentrated caffeine sources.
- Alcohol and foods prepared with alcohol.
- Raw yeast dough, which can expand and produce alcohol inside the stomach.
- Onions, garlic, chives, leeks, and shallots—raw, cooked, dried, powdered, or concentrated. Puppy Gumbo recipes should contain no deliberately added garlic or onion.
- Macadamia nuts.
- Cannabis and THC-containing foods or edibles.
- Moldy or spoiled food and compost.
- Human medications or supplements unless specifically directed by the dog’s veterinarian.
These ingredients are identified as potentially dangerous to dogs by the FDA, ASPCA Animal Poison Control, and Pet Poison Helpline.
Avoid in Puppy Gumbo recipes
- Cooked bones because they may splinter, choke the dog, or injure the digestive tract.
- Raw bones because of obstruction, broken-tooth, and bacterial-contamination risks.
- Corn cobs, skewers, toothpicks, food wrappers, and food bags.
- Peach, plum, cherry, nectarine, and other stone-fruit pits. They can cause an obstruction, and crushed or chewed pits can release toxic compounds.
- Excessively salty foods, including chips, salted nuts, cured meats, and heavily salted leftovers.
- Fried, greasy, or extremely fatty foods, including bacon grease and meat drippings. These can cause digestive illness and may contribute to pancreatitis.
- Raw or undercooked meat, eggs, and fish because of possible bacterial or parasitic contamination.
- Large quantities of nuts. Most are high in fat, and some may be moldy; macadamia nuts belong on the never-feed list.
- Avocado in Puppy Gumbo recipes. The pit is an obstruction hazard, and the fatty flesh can cause digestive problems in some dogs.
- Large amounts of milk, cream, cheese, or other dairy products, particularly for dogs that do not tolerate lactose.
- Concentrated citrus oils, peels, and large quantities of citrus fruit.
Some items in this section are not necessarily poisonous in every tiny exposure. They are excluded because their preparation, fat, salt, contamination, or obstruction risks make them inappropriate for a safe beginner program.
Check every ingredient label
Look carefully for:
- Xylitol, birch sugar, or wood sugar
- Onion powder or garlic powder
- Excess sodium
- Chocolate or cocoa
- Raisins or grape ingredients
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Macadamia nuts
Pay particular attention to peanut butter, broth, stock, gravy, seasoning mixtures, protein bars, baked goods, drink mixes, and anything labeled sugar-free. The FDA specifically warns that xylitol may appear under alternate names such as birch sugar or wood sugar. FDA pet-health guidance
What to do after a possible exposure
- Remove access to the food.
- Save the package or ingredient label.
- Record what was eaten, approximately how much, and when.
- Note the dog’s weight and any symptoms.
- Contact the dog’s veterinarian or an emergency veterinary hospital immediately.
- Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional directs you to do so.
When to Ask Your Veterinarian
Foods to Avoid is general kitchen-safety guidance. Your veterinarian is the right person to ask when the answer depends on your individual dog rather than a general ingredient list.
- Ask before using an ingredient you are uncertain about, especially when your dog has an existing health condition, takes medication, follows a prescribed diet, or has had a previous food reaction.
- Ask when you are changing a dog’s usual feeding plan and you want help deciding whether a specific ingredient belongs in that dog’s care plan.
- For a possible toxic exposure, do not wait for a routine question. Contact your veterinarian, an emergency animal hospital, or an animal poison-control center promptly.
For urgent exposure guidance, see the FDA pet-safety guidance and ASPCA Animal Poison Control.