The most common human foods toxic to dogs are avocados, chocolate, raisins, and sugar-free items containing Xylitol. Many other foods that are safe for us are lethal for your pup.

Dogs live the longest if provided with proper nutrition and healthy human foods.

Make sure your dog does not eat the 20 foods listed below to avoid any food poisoning in them.

1. Avocado

Dogs should avoid eating Avocados. The primary culprit is the fungicidal toxin called persin present in them. It can cause serious health problems in most of the animals.

Veterinarians say dogs are more resistant to Persin than other animals, but it is still harmful.  When a dog consumes Avocados, the reaction to Persin causes symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and myocardial damage. It can also lead to death.

2. Alcohol

Dogs should not consume alcohol. Alcohol has a similar effect on dogs; like humans, it affects their central nervous system, but the severity is drastically high. Even a tiny amount of alcohol can quickly lead to alcohol poisoning in dogs. 

The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, decreased coordination, Tremors, and dangerous situations like seizures or breathing difficulties. 

3. Coffee

Just like alcohol, dogs should not consume coffee or coffee grounds too. Coffee contains a chemical called Caffeine. Caffeine is a life-threatening component to dogs and cats. When consumed by dogs, this toxic chemical can lead to severe symptoms like increased heart rate and hyperactivity. 

It can also cause panting, excessive thirst and urination, tremors, seizures, and death. Even a tiny amount of coffee, around 140 mg/kg (63 mg/lb), can be deadly toxic for dogs.

4. Onions, Garlic, and Chives

Dogs should avoid eating onions, garlic, chives, or any other herbs from the Allium family. These human food items contain compounds like disulfides and sulfoxides, which can damage the body's Red blood cells (RBC).

This leads to anemia in many dogs. Some breeds, like Akitas and Shiba Inus, are extra sensitive to onions and garlic. It is dangerous to all breeds and can cause symptoms like weight loss, a faster heart rate, labored breathing, loss of appetite, "muddy" colored gums, etc.

5. Macadamia nuts

Macadamia nuts are dangerous for dogs. It is so toxic that they can suffer from weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors, hyperthermia, and more. 

Such symptoms can occur in them within just 12 hours of consumption. It can also cause the hind legs in them.

6. Salt

Dogs should avoid eating salty foods daily. A little bit of salt as an electrolyte is necessary for a dog's health. But it can quickly affect the fluid balance in the dogs' cells.

It leads to gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Too much salt can also cause tremors, seizures, and coma. Foods containing high amount of sodium also causes excessive hair loss in dogs.

7. Raw meats and eggs

Dogs should not eat raw eggs and raw meats as they may get exposed to harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and more. Some meats, like Pork meat, can also have invisible cysts of tapeworms which can lead to Taeniasis.

8. Sugar

Eating sugar is bad for your dog's health. Although moderate amounts of naturally occurring sugars can have little to no effect on dogs, processed sugar can have harmful effects on them.

It can lead to obesity and metabolical problems.

9. Grape and Raisins

Dogs should never eat grapes and raisins, which can lead to sudden kidney failure. Symptoms may include not passing any urine or changes in the amount of urine passed, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.

10. Spicy Food

Hot and spicy foods can cause ulcers, vomiting, and diarrhea in dogs. It also causes excessive thirst in them, and drinking lots of water at a time creates an imbalance in their digestive juices.

Overall, dogs are not tolerant of spices, so avoiding spicy foods for dogs is the best choice.

11. Cinnamon

A small amount of Cinnamon is not toxic for dogs. However, if given in excess, Cinnamon can cause severe effects on their health.

The significant effect of being aware of is the low blood sugar and liver disease. It also causes difficulty in breathing and irritation around the mouth.

12. Ice Cream

When consumed by a dog, ice cream causes some digestive issues like vomiting, diarrhea, gas, stomach pain, and pancreatitis. 

Dogs do not process lactose present in milk products properly, so giving ice cream is harmful to them. Ice cream also contains other ingredients like chocolate and sugar, which can cause more problems. Especially in sugar-free ice cream, a compound called Xylitol is present, which is highly hazardous to dogs.

13. Apple, Cherries, Apricots, or Plums

Apples, apricot, cherry, and plum seeds contain a toxic compound called cyanide. Consuming cyanide causes the inability of the Red Blood Cells of dogs to transfer oxygen to the body parts properly. The symptoms include irregular and fast heartbeat, vomiting, seizures, coma, and even death.

14. Mushrooms

Mushrooms have a diverse variety of compounds that may be toxic for dogs. They may cause damage to red blood cells, hallucinations, kidney and liver failure, vomiting, and diarrhea. Although some safe white grocery store mushrooms are safe in small amounts, it's best to avoid giving mushrooms to your dog as a treat.

15. Nutmeg

Dogs shouldn't eat foods containing nutmeg. It has a compound called myristicin, which is toxic for them.

This compound causes hallucinations, severe vomiting, and weakness in your dogs. You may have to call your veterinarian when the dog has consumed nutmeg.

16. Energy Drinks

Energy drinks or sports drink contains lots of caffeine, sugar, or the sugar-free compound Xylitol. All of these components are toxic for your dogs.

So, avoid giving energy drinks to your drinks. The only drink that should be given to dogs is water and some fruit juices. Other beverages should be best avoided.

17. Uncooked Dough and Yeast

Raw dough containing yeast is harmful to eat for your dogs. It can expand in your dog's stomach and cause severe pain and potentially hernia. Moreover, the yeast and sugar that may be present in the dough can ferment into alcohol production, which is another no-no for your dogs. 

So, when your dog accidentally consumes any raw dough, contact your veterinarian immediately.

18. Fatty Cuts of Meat

Many dog owners like to give their dogs fatty cuts of chicken skin, turkey skin, and ham as a treat. However, it will do more harm than benefit for your dogs.

Such food items contain high-fat content, which leads to acute pancreatitis in dogs. It is a life-threatening condition. So, to keep your dog healthy, avoid giving foods containing high amounts of fat.

19. Chocolate, Gum, or Sugar-free Candy

Chocolate has a compound called theobromine which is lethal for dogs. Chocolate poisoning in dogs is the most common, especially during the holiday season.

The symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs are hyperactivity, pancreatitis, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Similarly, sugar-free gums and candy has a chemical known as Xylitol. This is a toxin for dogs as it causes a rapid drop in their blood sugar level leading to weakness, seizures, and even liver failure.

A 65-pound dog can die after consuming the Xylitol amount present in just around five sugar-free gums.

20. Bones

You may be surprised to know this, but dogs and bones do not go in handy all the time, as shown in cartoons and movies.

The risks of giving cooked bones or uncooked ones to your dogs can include broken teeth, mouth and tongue injuries, choking, bleeding from the rectum, bone fragments scraping the lines of the GI tract, GI tract blockages, illness caused by bacteria on raw bones, vomiting, and diarrhea.

So it's better to give other chewy alternatives for your dogs as a treat rather than giving bones.