How to read the three tiers
Danger means the food has caused serious poisoning in dogs and belongs nowhere near the bowl — for some of these there's a published threshold we can convert to your dog's weight, for others (grapes, alcohol) no safe dose has ever been established.Caution covers foods where the risk lives in a specific part or a large amount — cherry pits, green tomato parts, a whole bag of chips. Fine in moderation is exactly that: genuinely safe treats, listed here because a checker that only ever says "no" teaches people to stop checking.
Why the same snack is an emergency for one dog and a shrug for another
Published veterinary thresholds are per kilogram of body weight. Fifteen grams of raw onion per kilogram is where red-blood-cell damage starts to show — that's around 200 g for a 30 lb Beagle but barely 40 g for a 6 lb Yorkie. Size is the whole story, which is why this page asks for your dog's weight and does the arithmetic instead of handing you a vague "keep away from dogs". The numbers come from the Merck Veterinary Manual and Pet Poison Helpline, and each answer links its source.
Holiday food hazards
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first if my dog ate something toxic?
Note what was eaten, roughly how much, and when. Don't induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to — with some substances that makes things worse. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply) and follow their instructions.
Why does my dog's weight matter for food dangers?
Most toxicity thresholds are dose-per-kilogram: the same cookie that barely registers for a 70 lb Labrador can put a 6 lb Chihuahua over a treatment threshold. That's why this checker converts published mg/kg figures into real amounts for your dog's actual weight — and why 'my last dog ate it and was fine' proves nothing.
Are any human foods actually safe for dogs?
Yes — plenty. Carrots, blueberries, apple slices (cored), bananas and xylitol-free peanut butter are all fine in moderation. The honest rule: treats of any kind should stay under about 10% of daily calories, and anything new gets introduced in small amounts.
My dog ate grapes but seems fine. Is it okay?
Call your vet anyway. Grapes and raisins have no established safe dose — some dogs eat several with no effect while others develop kidney injury from a small amount, and nobody can predict which dog is which. Kidney damage signs can also lag days behind the snack, so 'seems fine now' isn't the all-clear.