🏛 Part of the "vet" topic shelf →
Dogs | Household Toxins and Hazards
Which everyday items send dogs to the emergency room: chocolate, xylitol, grapes and raisins, onions/scallions/garlic/chives, raw yeast dough, fatty foods, cooked bones and bamboo skewers; human painkillers, cold medicines, psychiatric drugs, vitamin D and topical ointments; anticoagulant rodenticides, snail bait, antifreeze; strong acids and alkalis, essential oils, button batteries; sago palm, oleander, wild mushrooms and blue-green algae; plus linear foreign bodies and balls that lodge in the throat. This chapter deliberately lists no "how much causes poisoning" numbers, because that judgment can only be made by a veterinarian, and it closes with five standard steps for suspected poisoning.
Dogs | Household Toxins and Hazards
This chapter is compiled from the dog section of the veterinary encyclopedia. The same sign calls for different handling in different species, and following another species' protocol can be harmful — first confirm which animal you have.
Teaching-material basis: lines 33–34 `药理与毒理 药物作用、风险与中毒`／`Veterinary Toxicology`. The original teaching material names 0 specific toxins; this section is entirely newly added.
⚠️ This section lists no "how much causes poisoning" numbers — first, lethal doses vary enormously with body weight, breed, product concentration and individual differences; second, any "not yet a toxic dose" judgment must be made by a veterinarian, not by an owner using numbers from the internet.
⚠️ Situations where inducing vomiting yourself is forbidden: corrosive substances (strong acids/alkalis, drain cleaner), petroleum/oily solvents, a dog already seizing or with clouded consciousness, brachycephalic dogs (high aspiration-pneumonia risk), or too much time has passed. In every case, call first.
10.1 Food
| Item | Mechanism of harm | Red-flag signs |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate/cocoa (the darker, the more toxic) | Methylxanthines (theobromine, caffeine) | Restlessness, panting, vomiting, fast heart rate and arrhythmia, seizures |
| Xylitol (sugar-free gum, sugar-free candy, some peanut butters, baked goods, some toothpastes) | Triggers insulin release → acute hypoglycemia; can also cause liver failure | Weakness, collapse, seizures, jaundice later |
| Grapes and raisins (including grape juice and raisin bread) | Mechanism not fully understood → acute kidney injury; individual variation is extreme, and there is no safe amount | Vomiting, dullness, later excessive drinking and urination or no urine at all |
| Onions, scallions, garlic, chives, shallots (including powders, soup bases, dumpling fillings) | Destroys red blood cells (Heinz body hemolysis) | Days later: pallor, weakness, dark urine, jaundice |
| Macadamia nuts | Mechanism unknown | Hind-limb weakness, tremors, fever, vomiting |
| Alcohol (including raw dough, fermented items, liquor-filled desserts, mouthwash) | CNS depression + hypoglycemia + acidosis | Unsteady gait, hypothermia, coma |
| Raw yeast dough (still rising) | Keeps fermenting in the stomach, producing gas + alcohol | Bloating (may trigger GDV) + alcohol poisoning |
| Caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, coffee grounds, coffee capsules) | Same as methylxanthines | Same as chocolate |
| High-fat/greasy foods (fried food, fatty meat, drippings, butter) | Acute pancreatitis (§7-7) | Vomiting, abdominal pain, complete loss of appetite |
| Large amounts of salt (salt-dough ornaments, salt water, seawater, de-icing salt) | Hypernatremia → cerebral edema | Vomiting, unsteady gait, seizures |
| Cooked bones, chicken bones, pork bones, bamboo skewers and kebab sticks | Fragments puncture, obstruct, break teeth; skewers can pierce out of the gut | Vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, black stool |
| Fruit pits and seeds (peach, plum, cherry; apple seeds in quantity) | Obstruction + cyanide (large amounts of chewed seeds) | Vomiting, abdominal pain; with cyanide, rapid breathing and collapse |
| Corn cobs, avocado pits, peach pits | Classic intestinal obstruction foreign bodies (may not show clearly on X-ray) | Persistent vomiting + no defecation |
| Moldy food, compost, garbage | Tremorgenic mycotoxins, spoilage toxins | Violent tremors, seizures, high body temperature (an emergency) |
| Grapefruit/citrus essential oils; large amounts of milk and dairy | Mainly GI upset | Diarrhea, vomiting |
10.2 Human and veterinary medicines (one of the most common poisoning sources)
| Category | Why it is dangerous to dogs |
|---|---|
| NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen and other human painkillers) | Dogs' safety margin differs from humans' → gastric/intestinal perforation, acute kidney failure. "One pill should be fine" is a lethal-grade misjudgment |
| Acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol-type products) | Liver damage and methemoglobinemia; more lethal to cats, but just as dangerous to dogs |
| Antidepressants and psychiatric drugs (SSRIs/SNRIs/tricyclics), ADHD stimulants | Serotonin syndrome, tremors, hyperthermia, seizures, arrhythmia |
| Sleep and anti-anxiety drugs, muscle relaxants | Excessive sedation, respiratory depression; some dogs show paradoxical excitement |
| Cardiovascular drugs (antihypertensives, cardiac drugs), diabetes drugs | Hypotension, heart-rhythm problems, fatal hypoglycemia |
| Vitamin D supplements; creams/rodenticides containing vitamin D | Hypercalcemia → irreversible kidney damage |
| Iron supplements, iron-containing vitamins | Corrosive + hepatotoxic |
| Topical ointments and patches (including 5-FU anticancer creams, hormone patches and gels, steroid ointments) | Licking even a tiny amount of a 5-FU-type cream can be fatal; hormones can cause endocrine and bone-marrow problems |
| Cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine/phenylephrine | Soaring heart rate and blood pressure, agitation, seizures |
| Cannabis and THC products (including edibles, smoke, leftovers) | Severe sedation, hypothermia, heart-rhythm effects, urinary incontinence; edibles often also contain chocolate or xylitol → double poisoning |
| Nicotine, e-cigarette liquid, cigarette butts, quit-smoking patches and lozenges | High-concentration nicotine can be rapidly fatal |
| Antiparasitics given to the wrong species | High-concentration permethrin for dogs can be fatal to cats; MDR1 dogs are unusually sensitive to certain drugs (§1.4) |
| Leftover drugs / another dog's drugs / expired drugs | Formulation, concentration, indication and this dog's liver and kidney status all differ |
This chapter's position: before giving your dog anything (including supplements, essential oils, topical medications), ask a veterinarian. Store every medication in the house in containers the dog cannot open; purses and nightstands are common poisoning scenes.
10.3 Insecticides and rodenticides, garden and automotive chemicals
| Category | Item | Mechanism of harm | Special notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anticoagulant rodenticides | Many kinds (first and second generation) | Clotting factors fail → internal bleeding | Bleeding can be delayed by days; an antidote approach exists but early veterinary care is essential; bring the packaging (different ingredients are handled differently) |
| Bromethalin rodenticide | Brain and spinal-cord edema | No specific antidote, poor prognosis → every minute counts | |
| Cholecalciferol rodenticide | Hypercalcemia → kidney failure | Treatment is difficult and expensive | |
| Zinc phosphide rodenticide | Generates phosphine gas | The vomit gives off toxic gas; open the windows during transport and keep people from inhaling it too | |
| Snail bait metaldehyde | Violent seizures and hyperthermia | Common in gardens; an emergency | |
| Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides | Cholinesterase inhibition | Drooling, pinpoint pupils, seizures, respiratory depression | |
| Pyrethroids | High-concentration environmental sprays, spot-on products for the wrong species | Neurotoxic | Households with cats must be especially careful with dog products |
| Antifreeze/radiator coolant (ethylene glycol) | It tastes sweet and dogs drink it willingly; the metabolites cause acute kidney failure | Time is everything — treated early there is a chance, treated late it is almost hopeless | |
| Herbicides and fungicides | Varies by ingredient | Keep dogs off treated areas until they are dry; bring the label to the vet | |
| Automotive chemicals | Motor oil, brake fluid, gasoline, windshield-washer fluid (methanol) | Corrosive, lung aspiration, neurotoxic | No induced vomiting for petroleum products |
| Zinc (coins, nuts, toy parts) / lead (old paint, lead sinkers) | Hemolysis, GI, neurologic | Visible on X-ray; must be removed |
10.4 Household cleaning and home chemicals
| Item | Harm | Contraindications |
|---|---|---|
| Strong acids/alkalis (drain cleaner, degreaser, oven cleaner, laundry pods) | Corrosive burns of the mouth and esophagus | Induced vomiting is strictly forbidden (a second burn); do not try to neutralize; go to the vet immediately |
| Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) | Corrosion and airway irritation | Same as above; concentrates are especially dangerous |
| Petroleum solvents, paint thinner, lighter fluid | Aspiration pneumonia | No induced vomiting |
| Essential oils and diffusers (tea tree, pine oil, wintergreen, eucalyptus, clove, etc.) | Skin and liver toxicity, airway irritation | Do not apply them to the dog, do not diffuse continuously in a closed room, and place them where the dog cannot reach (direct contact from a spill is the most dangerous) |
| Batteries (especially button batteries) | Corrosive burns, perforation | An emergency — do not induce vomiting; note the time |
| Desiccants, dehumidifier packs, mothballs | Varies by ingredient; mothball naphthalene is toxic | Bring the packaging to the vet |
| Cigarettes/butts/betel nut/ashtray water | Nicotine | A common source of accidental ingestion |
10.5 Plants (indoors and in the yard)
| Plant | Harm |
|---|---|
| **Sago palm (*Cycas*)** | The whole plant is toxic, the seeds most of all → acute liver failure with a high fatality rate; households with dogs are advised to remove it outright |
| Oleander, lily of the valley, foxglove, Christmas rose | Cardiac toxicity (fatal arrhythmias) |
| Azalea, mountain laurel | Cardiac and GI toxicity |
| Autumn crocus; daffodil/tulip/hyacinth bulbs | Severe GI, bone-marrow and organ toxicity |
| Castor beans (ricin) | Extremely toxic |
| Caladium, pothos, peace lily, dieffenbachia (the calcium-oxalate crystal group) | Oral burning pain, swelling, drooling, difficulty swallowing |
| Cannabis plants | See §10.2 |
| **Wild mushrooms (especially *Amanita* species)** | Acute liver failure |
| Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria; eutrophic ponds and lakes in summer) | Acute liver failure or neurotoxicity; can kill within hours; in summer do not let dogs swim in or drink from water with green algal bloom floating on it |
10.6 Physical hazards (not poisons, but they end in the ER just the same)
| Item | Harm |
|---|---|
| Linear foreign bodies: thread and needles, stockings, hair ties, ribbon, tinsel, mop strands, earphone cords | The intestine is cinched into an accordion and sawn through; if you see a string, do not pull it |
| Balls (one sized just right to lodge in the throat) | Complete upper-airway obstruction, fatal within minutes; choose balls larger than the mouth |
| Toy fragments, plastic, latex shreds, slipper pieces | Obstruction and puncture |
| Rawhide chews, compressed treats | Swell after being swallowed and obstruct |
| Magnets (multiple) | Pinch the gut wall and cause ischemic perforation |
| Power cords and charging cables | Electrical burns of the mouth + non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema |
| Bamboo skewers, kebab sticks, chicken bones | Puncture and mediastinal infection |
| Trash cans and compost | See mycotoxins in §10.1 |
| Heat sources: stoves, space heaters, heating pads, a just-extinguished grill | Burns (low-temperature burns from heating pads are often noticed late) |
| Hot cars, asphalt pavement, swimming pools (a pool with no exit) | Heatstroke, burned paw pads, drowning |
| **Toads (*Bufo*/*Rhinella*), bee swarms, fire ants, centipedes, venomous snakes** | Neuro- and cardiotoxins, allergic reactions |
10.7 Standard steps for suspected poisoning (stick this on the fridge)
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Call immediately — your regular hospital / a 24-hour emergency service / a poison-consultation line (write the numbers down in advance) |
| 2 | Record: what was eaten (bring the original packaging or photograph it), roughly when, roughly how much, and the dog's body weight |
| 3 | Separate the dog from what is left to stop further ingestion; keep a sample of any vomit |
| 4 | Act on the instructions given over the phone. Do not induce vomiting the way the internet teaches (see the contraindications at the start of this section) |
| 5 | When you set out, take the packaging, pill boxes, plant photos and vomit along |
Limits of this content
The content of this chapter comes from the dog section of the veterinary encyclopedia (original location and content hash are in the evidence chain). The sources at the end are the authoritative references cited by that section — a chapter-level correspondence, which does not mean every sentence traces line by line to those sources. This content is for education and cannot replace a practicing veterinarian's diagnosis and prescriptions; in an emergency, seek veterinary care immediately. This text has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.
FAQ
- How much chocolate does it take to poison a dog?
- This chapter deliberately lists no "how much causes poisoning" numbers, for two reasons: lethal doses vary enormously with body weight, breed, product concentration and individual differences; and any "not yet a toxic dose" judgment must be made by a veterinarian, not by an owner working from numbers found online. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is; signs of poisoning include restlessness, panting, vomiting, a fast heart rate with arrhythmia, and seizures. As soon as you find out, call first.
- 犬はチョコレートをどれだけ食べたら中毒になりますか？ — ここでは「どれだけで中毒になるか」の数値をあえて一切載せていません。理由は 2 つあります。致死量は体重・品種・製品濃度・個体差で大きく変わること。そして「まだ中毒量に達していない」という判断は獣医師が行うべきもので、飼い主がネット上の数字で自己判断してはいけないことです。チョコレートは黒いほど毒性が強く、中毒のサインは落ち着きのなさ、あえぎ、嘔吐、頻脈と不整脈、けいれんなど。気づいたら、まず電話してください。
- How much chocolate does it take to poison a dog? — This chapter deliberately lists no "how much causes poisoning" numbers, for two reasons: lethal doses vary enormously with body weight, breed, product concentration and individual differences; and any "not yet a toxic dose" judgment must be made by a veterinarian, not by an owner working from numbers found online. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is; signs of poisoning include restlessness, panting, vomiting, a fast heart rate with arrhythmia, and seizures. As soon as you find out, call first.
- Which plants at home are most dangerous to dogs?
- Sago palm is toxic in every part, the seeds most of all; it causes acute liver failure with a high fatality rate, and households with dogs are advised to remove it outright. Also watch the cardiotoxic group — oleander, lily of the valley, foxglove, Christmas rose — as well as azalea, autumn crocus, flower bulbs and castor beans, and the plants that cause oral burning and swelling, such as pothos, peace lily and caladium. Outdoors, avoid wild mushrooms, and in summer keep dogs away from water with green algal bloom floating on it.
- 家に置くと犬に最も危険な植物は何ですか？ — ソテツは全草が有毒で種子が最も毒性が強く、急性肝不全を起こして致死率が高いため、犬のいる家では撤去を推奨します。ほかに気をつけたいのは、心毒性のあるキョウチクトウ、スズラン、ジギタリス、クリスマスローズ、さらにツツジ、イヌサフラン、球根類、トウゴマの種、そして口の灼熱痛と腫れを起こすポトス、スパティフィラム、カラジウムです。屋外では野生キノコを避け、夏は緑色の藻が浮いた水に犬を近づけないでください。
- Which plants at home are most dangerous to dogs? — Sago palm is toxic in every part, the seeds most of all; it causes acute liver failure with a high fatality rate, and households with dogs are advised to remove it outright. Also watch the cardiotoxic group — oleander, lily of the valley, foxglove, Christmas rose — as well as azalea, autumn crocus, flower bulbs and castor beans, and the plants that cause oral burning and swelling, such as pothos, peace lily and caladium. Outdoors, avoid wild mushrooms, and in summer keep dogs away from water with green algal bloom floating on it.
- I can see a string coming out of my dog's mouth or anus — can I pull it out?
- Do not pull it under any circumstances. A linear foreign body cinches the intestine into an accordion and saws through it; whether the string shows at the mouth or the anus, it must not be pulled — go to the vet immediately. Thread and needles, stockings, hair ties, ribbon, tinsel, mop strands and earphone cords all belong to this category; from the outside they often look completely unremarkable, yet they are among the most insidious foreign bodies.
- 犬の口やお尻からひもが出ているのが見えたら、引っ張って抜いてもいいですか？ — 決して引っ張ってはいけません。ひも状異物は腸をアコーディオン状に絞って切り裂きます。口から見えても肛門から見えても引っ張らず、直ちに受診してください。縫い糸と針、ストッキング、ヘアゴム、リボン、クリスマスツリーのモール、モップの糸、イヤホンのコードはすべてこの仲間で、外からはまったく分からないことが多いのに、最も油断ならない異物のひとつです。
- I can see a string coming out of my dog's mouth or anus — can I pull it out? — Do not pull it under any circumstances. A linear foreign body cinches the intestine into an accordion and saws through it; whether the string shows at the mouth or the anus, it must not be pulled — go to the vet immediately. Thread and needles, stockings, hair ties, ribbon, tinsel, mop strands and earphone cords all belong to this category; from the outside they often look completely unremarkable, yet they are among the most insidious foreign bodies.
Source anchors
- Merck 獸醫手冊｜犬章引用 · https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/management-of-the-neonate/management-of-the-neonate-in-dogs-and-cats · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- Merck 獸醫手冊｜犬章引用 · https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/parameters-to-evaluate-during-triage · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- Merck 獸醫手冊｜犬章引用 · https://www.merckvetmanual.com/reproductive-system/reproductive-diseases-of-the-female-small-animal/dystocia-in-small-animals · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- PMC 全文｜犬章引用 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10385239/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- PMC 全文｜犬章引用 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10705156/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- PMC 全文｜犬章引用 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11096582/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- PMC 全文｜犬章引用 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421102/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- PMC 全文｜犬章引用 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7608676/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- WSAVA｜犬章引用 · https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- AAHA｜犬章引用 · https://www.aaha.org/wp-content/uploads/globalassets/02-guidelines/behavior-management/2015_aaha_canine_and_feline_behavior_management_guidelines_final.pdf · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- AAHA｜犬章引用 · https://www.aaha.org/wp-content/uploads/globalassets/02-guidelines/canine-life-stage/canine_life_stage_guidelines.pdf · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- WOAH 世界動物衛生組織｜犬章引用 · https://www.woah.org/en/disease/rabies/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- vetmed.illinois.edu｜犬章引用 · https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet-health-columns/never-give-medications-for-people-to-pets/ · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
- 本文證據鏈：原始章節位置與內容雜湊 · https://km.idaeo.ai/reports/vet-dog-household-toxins-evidence · 在 IDAEO 的其他引用
Cite this article
獸醫百科編輯部・《Dogs | Household Toxins and Hazards》・IDAEO 知識庫・2026-08-13・https://km.idaeo.ai/post/vet/dog-household-toxinsUpdated 2026-08-14