Can my dog eat�
Check common baking and pastry ingredients before your dog gets a taste. Every answer links to the sources it comes from.
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Alcohol in Baking
Toxic: call for helpNo. Rum cakes, liqueur fillings and boozy glazes carry alcohol, which is dangerous for dogs.
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Almonds
Use cautionOnly rarely and a few: almonds aren't a known poison, but they're fatty and hard to chew.
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Apples (Seeds and Core)
Small plain amountsYes, plain apple slices are fine for most dogs. Remove the core, seeds and stem first.
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Baked Bread
Use cautionOnly plain, and only a little: baked bread has no rising risk, but many breads carry risky add-ins.
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Dark and Baking Chocolate
Toxic: call for helpNo. Dark and unsweetened baking chocolate are the most dangerous chocolates for dogs.
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Baking Powder
Use cautionOnly the small amount baked into a treat: a dog that ate it from the can needs a call, the same as baking soda.
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Baking Soda
Use cautionOnly the small amount baked into a treat: eaten from the box, baking soda can seriously upset a dog's sodium and ...
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Bananas
Small plain amountsYes, a little plain banana is fine for most dogs, but it's higher in calories than berries.
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Blueberries
Small plain amountsYes, plain blueberries are a good low-calorie treat for most dogs.
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Butter
Use cautionOnly a trace: butter isn't poisonous, but rich, fatty food is a common pancreatitis trigger.
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Carrots
Small plain amountsYes, carrots are one of the lowest-calorie treats for dogs.
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Cheese
Use cautionOnly small amounts of plain cheese: it's high in fat and salt, and moldy cheese is a separate danger.
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Cherries
Keep awayNo. Cherry pits, stems and leaves contain cyanide compounds, and pits can block the gut.
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Cinnamon
Use cautionOnly small amounts: cinnamon isn't a common poison, but the powder and oil can cause trouble.
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Citrus (Lemons, Limes, Oranges)
Use cautionOnly a bite of the flesh: the peels, seeds and plant contain oils that irritate dogs.
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Cocoa Powder
Toxic: call for helpNo. Cocoa powder is the most concentrated chocolate product, and very little is dangerous.
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Coconut Flour
Use cautionOnly a little: coconut isn't seriously harmful in small amounts, but it can upset some dogs' stomachs.
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Coconut Oil
Use cautionOnly a little: small amounts are unlikely to cause harm, but it's pure fat.
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Coffee and Caffeine
Toxic: call for helpNo. Dogs are more sensitive to caffeine than people, and grounds, beans and espresso powder are concentrated.
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Corn Syrup
Use cautionOnly a little: corn syrup isn't toxic to dogs, but it's pure sugar with no nutritional value for them.
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Cream Cheese
Use cautionOnly a dab: cream cheese is mostly fat, and dairy upsets some dogs.
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Eggs (Raw vs Cooked)
Use cautionOnly cooked: raw eggs can carry germs, while egg baked into a treat isn't on the poison lists.
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Food Coloring
Use cautionOnly the trace in a decoration: we found no official veterinary poison listing for food coloring.
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Frosting and Icing
Use cautionOnly a lick: frosting is sugar and fat, and some frostings bring chocolate or xylitol.
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Fruit Preserves and Jam
Use cautionOnly a smear, and never grape jam or sugar-free jam: it's mostly sugar, and some contain xylitol.
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Ginger
Use cautionOnly the small amount in a recipe: we found no official veterinary poison listing for culinary ginger.
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Sugar
Use cautionOnly as a tiny part of a treat: plain sugar isn't poisonous to dogs, but it's empty calories.
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Grapes, Raisins, Currants and Sultanas
Toxic: call for helpNo. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, and no safe amount is known.
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Heavy Cream
Use cautionOnly a lick: cream is very fatty, and dairy upsets many dogs' stomachs.
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Honey
Use cautionOnly a little: honey isn't on the poison lists for dogs, but it's concentrated sugar.
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Macadamia Nuts
Toxic: call for helpNo. Macadamia nuts are poisonous to dogs.
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Maple Syrup
Use cautionOnly a little, and only real or regular syrup: sugar-free syrups may contain xylitol.
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Marshmallows
Use cautionOnly if they aren't sugar-free, and only one: marshmallows are sugar, and sugar-free ones may contain xylitol.
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Milk
Use cautionOnly a little: many dogs can't digest much milk sugar and get diarrhea.
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Milk Chocolate
Toxic: call for helpNo. Milk chocolate has less theobromine than dark chocolate, but enough to make dogs sick.
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Molasses
Use cautionOnly a little: molasses is a sugar syrup, not a poison, but it adds calories fast.
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Nutmeg
Use cautionOnly the trace in a recipe: a pinch is very unlikely to matter, but large amounts are toxic.
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Oats
Small plain amountsYes, plain cooked oats in small amounts are fine for most dogs. Skip oatmeal cookies with raisins or chocolate.
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Onions and Garlic
Toxic: call for helpNo. Onions and garlic damage dogs' red blood cells, and powders are the most concentrated.
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Peanut Butter
Use cautionOnly if the label has no xylitol, and only a little: some peanut and nut butters contain it.
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Pecans
Use cautionOnly rarely: pecans are fatty, and old or moldy pecans can carry harmful molds.
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Plain Yogurt
Use cautionOnly plain, unsweetened yogurt in small amounts. Never sugar-free yogurt with xylitol.
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Pumpkin (Plain vs Pie Filling)
Use cautionOnly plain pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced.
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Raw Yeast Dough
Toxic: call for helpNo. Raw yeast dough is an emergency: it rises inside the stomach and makes alcohol.
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Rice Flour
Small plain amountsYes, rice flour in a baked treat is fine for most dogs.
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Salt
Use cautionOnly the pinch that seasons a treat: large amounts can be deadly, and salt dough ornaments are a real holiday risk.
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Sprinkles and Decorations
Use cautionOnly a few: sprinkles are sugar, chocolate sprinkles carry theobromine, and inedible decorations can block the gut.
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Strawberries
Small plain amountsYes, plain strawberries are a good low-calorie treat for most dogs.
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Sugar Substitutes (Erythritol, Stevia, Sucralose)
Use cautionOnly with caution: the serious danger is xylitol, but blends and 'sugar-free' products can hide it.
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Sweet Potato
Small plain amountsYes, plain cooked sweet potato in small amounts is fine for most dogs.
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Tea
Keep awayNo. A lick is unlikely to matter, but tea leaves and tea bags contain caffeine.
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Vanilla Extract and Other Extracts
Keep awayNo, not straight: by law vanilla extract is at least 35% alcohol, and alcohol is dangerous for dogs.
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Walnuts (Including Moldy and Black Walnuts)
Keep awayNo. Walnuts are fatty, and moldy walnuts can carry molds that cause tremors and seizures.
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Wheat Flour
Use cautionOnly baked: cooked wheat flour is common in dog foods, but raw flour can carry germs.
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White Chocolate
Keep awayNo. White chocolate has almost no theobromine, but it's sugar and fat dogs don't need.
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Xylitol
Toxic: call for helpNo. Xylitol is poisonous to dogs, even in small amounts, and it hides in sugar-free baking.
We haven't covered yet. No answer here doesn't mean it's safe.
If your dog already ate it, call your veterinarian or an animal poison line: ASPCA (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
What the labels mean
- Toxic: call for help Known to be poisonous to dogs. If your dog ate any, call for help now.
- Keep away Not a good idea for dogs. Keep it out of reach.
- Use caution Depends on the amount, the product or your dog. Read the page before sharing.
- Small plain amounts Generally fine as a small, plain treat for a healthy dog, unless your veterinarian says otherwise.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited sources. Not reviewed by a veterinarian. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.