Choosing safe foods and treats matters because your dog’s health depends on every bite. Understanding what supports their body and what quietly harms them helps you avoid painful emergencies and make confident decisions about daily feeding.

Why check out this article?

10 Foods & Treats that are safe to eat

Lean Proteins – Proteins offer reliable amino acids that strengthen muscle tone, support immune resilience and promote steady daily energy. Cooked chicken or turkey kept completely plain is gentle on digestion.

Fresh Vegetables – Veggies provide hydration, fibre and slow-release nutrients that keep digestion smooth and support healthy weight. Carrots, courgettes and green beans offer a natural crunch that satisfies chewing.

Whole Fruits – Seedless apple slices or blueberries supply antioxidants that defend cells and maintain healthy heart and brain function. Their natural sweetness makes them a refreshing option for gentle reward.

Cooked Eggs – Cooked eggs supply highly absorbable protein, essential fats and key vitamins that encourage coat shine and help repair tissue after activity. You can serve them plain and fully cooked to your dog.

Plain Youghurt – given sparingly supports gut stability through beneficial bacteria and a modest calcium boost. Its soft, cooling texture helps during mild digestive discomfort, but it should be used in tiny amounts.

Pumpkin Purée – soothes digestive imbalance through its soluble fibre, helping regulate stool consistency and soften transitional diet effects. Its gentle flavour blends easily into regular meals, supporting hydration.

Rice and Oats – Mild, stomach-friendly carbohydrates that maintain energy without triggering irritation. These grains are especially helpful during short episodes of digestive upset, keeping nutrition steady

Safe Peanut Butter – Peanut Butter that is without xylitol gives healthy fats and enrichment value, encouraging licking behaviours that reduce stress and mental tension. You should give it to your dog in controlled amounts, like in a puzzle feeder to motivate while being calorie-conscious.

Sweet Potatoes – They offer slow-release carbohydrates, natural fibre and beneficial vitamins that sustain activity and support digestive wellbeing. Cooked and served plain, they make a wholesome alternative to processed snacks

Dog-formulated Treats – Provide predictable digestibility and controlled ingredients designed specifically for canine nutrition. Reputable brands ensure quality standards that reduce hidden risks, making them a dependable choice for training reinforcement and daily enrichment.

10 Foods & Treats that are never safe to eat

Chocolate – Stems from theobromine, which dogs cannot metabolise effectively, leading to dangerous neurological and cardiac effects. Even small amounts of dark chocolate can trigger vomiting, tremors and potentially life-threatening complications needing urgent care.

Grapes and Rasins – can cause sudden kidney failure with unpredictable sensitivity levels between dogs. Because even a single raisin may be enough to cause severe illness, complete avoidance is required and any accidental ingestion demands immediate veterinary attention.

Onions and Garlic – Introduce compounds that damage red blood cells, gradually triggering anaemia, weakness and delayed symptoms that complicate treatment. Whether raw, powdered or cooked, these ingredients accumulate over time and must be strictly excluded from all diets.

Xylitol Sweeteners – Cause a rapid insulin surge that leads to dangerous blood sugar drops within minutes, alongside severe liver damage. Hidden in sweets, peanut butter, baked goods and toothpaste, it requires strict vigilance and zero-tolerance avoidance for all dogs.

Cooked Bones – Splinter into sharp fragments that become lodged anywhere from the mouth to the intestines, often requiring emergency surgery. Even raw bones pose infection risks, making safe chewing toys or dental-approved alternatives vastly more reliable and secure.

Alcohol and Yeast – Disrupt metabolic function and cause painful gas expansion when dough rises inside the stomach, creating conditions similar to bloat. These substances impair coordination and can quickly become life-threatening, warranting total avoidance in every home.

Salty Snacks – Overwhelm a dog’s sodium balance, causing dehydration, vomiting and in severe cases salt poisoning, especially in small breeds. Human crisps, cured meats and processed savoury foods deliver unsafe levels of salt that strain hydration and kidney function.

Macadamia Nuts – Lead to delayed-onset weakness, tremors, vomiting and overheating, with symptoms lasting up to two days. The mechanism of toxicity remains unclear, making the safest approach complete exclusion and rapid veterinary consultation if eaten.

Caffeinated Products – They overstimulate a dog’s heart and central nervous system, causing restlessness, high blood pressure and dangerously rapid heartbeat. Even a small amount of coffee grounds or concentrated tea leaves can exceed safe metabolic limits instantly.

Mouldy Foods – Contain potent mycotoxins that attack the nervous system, causing tremors, seizures and fever within hours. Dogs often access these through rubbish bins, making secure waste storage essential to prevent accidental poisoning from decomposing scraps.

Has your dog had these? Call your vet immediately, go to Max, and ask for Emergency Guidance so he can assist you whilst you get help.

From the experts – Ensure your dog's diet includes a variety of high-quality commercial dog food suitable for their life stage. Lean proteins like chicken and turkey are essential for muscle development, while fruits and vegetables like carrots and apples provide vitamins and antioxidants. Remember, moderation is key with treats to maintain a balanced diet and prevent overfeeding.

Got questions? Max is hanging out on the right of your display - give him a shout!

See More Articles →