Your dog is your best friend, so you would never want to feed him something that might harm him! It can be tricky to remember all of the different foods that are poisonous or dangerous for dogs, though. To help you remember, we put together a quick list from A to Z of foods to avoid. All of these foods are harmful to your dog in some way, so make sure they are kept far out of his reach.

• Alcohol
  • This should be a no-brainer. Giving even a tiny bit of alcholol to your dog is extremely dangerous as his liver is not designed to process or filter alcholol. This can lead to severe effects like vomiting, excess panting, disorientation, and muscle tremors or seizures.

• Bread Dough
  • Bread dough is bad for your dog because they yeast in the dough will continue to rise in your dogs stomach, which releases ethanol, AKA alcholol. The expanding dough can also cause extreme bloat and even rupture the lining of your dog's stomach.

• Chocolate
  • Chocolate contains the chemcial theobromine, which is a stimulant. Even in small amounts, it can have your dog vomiting, and in larger amounts can cause seizure, irregular heartbeat, and even death.

• Desserts
  • Super sugary foods like desserts aren't great for fido. While not poisonous, they can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting. If eating sugary foods becomes a habit, it can cause similar health problems to those seen in humans, like diabetes, weight gain, and even cavities. 

• Eggs (Raw)
  • Raw eggs are a food poisoning hazard, so it is not reccommended that you feed them to your dog. Cooked eggs, however, are great and can make a wonderful treat for your pup!

• Fat Trimmings
  • It may be tempting to give fido the trimmings from your meat, but it's not a great idea. Fat trimmings from both cooked and raw meat can cause pancreatitis in your dog.

• Garlic
  • Garlic contains thiosulfate, a chemical that will damage your dog's red blood cells and cause anemia.

• Ham
  • Ham is very salty and high in fat, so it's not a great option to feed your dog frequently. If you want to feed your dog meat, chicken is a much better option.

• Ice Cream
  • Vanilla icecream is a treat that many dog owners believe is safe for their dog to eat. While it technically is safe to eat, it's not the best food for your dog to eat. It's high in sugar, and many dogs are lactose intolerant, meaning they'll end up with an upset stomach and diarrhea, which isn't fun for you or your dog.

• Junk Food
  • A good rule of thumb is if it's not good for you, it's probably not good for your dog!

• Kale
  • Kale contains several natural compounds that can actually be harmful to your dog. Problems that can arise from eating kale include kidney and bladder stones, gastric irritation, and interference with thyroid function.

• Licorice
  • Black licorice is the real danger, as it contains licorice plant extract. This contains the chemical glycyrrhizin, which can increase your dog's blood pressure.

• Macadamia Nuts
  • Macadamia nuts are extremely toxic to dogs. Even a small amount can cause weakness and lethargy, along with vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Call your vet immediately if your dog has accidentally eaten macadamia nuts.

• Nutmeg
  • Nutmeg is a spice that if often overlooked when thinking of food that are toxic to your dog. It can cause stomach upset and nervous system disruption, and in severe cases can lead to death.

• Onions
  • Just like garlic, onions are also poisonous to dogs. They are both part of the allium family. Other foods in this family include shallots, leeks, and chives.

• Potatoes (raw, cooked are fine)
  • While cooked potatoes are an excellent source of carbohydrates and fiber for your dog, you should never feed your dog raw potatoes. They contain the compound solanine, which is toxic to dogs. Cooking potatoes will remove this compound.

• Rhubarb
  • Rhubarb stalks are safe for dogs to eat, but rhubarb leaves can be toxic. If your dog eats rhubarb leaves, he will show signs like drooling, loss of appetite, tremors, and weakness.

• Salty Foods
  • Just like for humans, it's not a great idea for your dog to eat a ton of salty foods. They'll make him extremely thirsty, and can even lead to health problems vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, fever, and seizures.

• Tea bags/tea leaves
  • The danger in giving your dog tea is the caffeine. Dogs can't process caffeine like us humans do, so it can lead to toxic effects.

• Uncooked Rice
  • Uncooked rice is not necessarily poisonous to dogs, but it can cause severe digestive disruption. It will absorb the moisture in your dog's stomach and expand, which can lead to constipation, indigestion, or even organ failure.

• Vienna Sausages
  • Some pet owners will use Vienna Sausages as a treat or reward for their dog—they are irresistable to a dog! However, this isn't a great idea. Vienna sausages are very high in fat and salt, and also contain seasonings like garlic that are poisonous to your dog. It's best to stick to treats that are specifically made for dogs. 

• Walnuts
  • Walnuts aren't necessarily poisonous for dogs, but they are susceptible to a particular black mold that is extremely poisonous to dogs. Nuts in general should be avoided, as they are high in fat, but if your dog gets a hand full of walnuts he will likely be okay. The walnuts to completely avoid are ones that you find in the wild, which have a much higher chance of having the toxic mold on them.

• Xylitol Sugar Substitute
  • Many foods we eat these days use artificial sweeteners, and xylitol is one of the most commonly found artificial sweeteners in human food. Never let your dog eat foods that use xylitol as a sweetener, as even very small amounts can cause hypoglycemia, seizures, liver failure, or even death.

• Yeast
  • Yeast will rise in your dog's stomach which can lead to dangerous levels of bloat. Another concern with yeast is alcohol poisoning, because yeast will release ethanol as it ferments.

• Zinfandel Grapes (or any other types of grapes or raisins)
  • This last one was a bit of a stretch (as it turns out, not many foods start with the letter Z!), but the main point to be made is that dogs should never eat grapes or raisins. Grapes can cause sudden liver failure in your dog, which is potentially fatal.