The human foods most dangerous to dogs are grapes and raisins, xylitol, chocolate, onions and garlic, and macadamia nuts. Dates are not poisonous, but the stones block the gut. If your dog has eaten any of these, call 055 620 4085 before you do anything else.
Most of these foods are on a Dubai table every week, and more of them during Ramadan and Eid. The risk depends on the food, the amount and the size of the dog. A Pomeranian and a Labrador who share a box of chocolates are in very different positions.
The list at a glance
| Food | What it does | When signs start |
|---|---|---|
| Grapes, raisins, sultanas, currants | Sudden kidney failure in some dogs | Vomiting within 24 hours, kidney signs over 1 to 3 days |
| Xylitol, also labelled birch sugar | A crash in blood sugar, then liver damage | As early as 30 minutes |
| Chocolate and cocoa | Overstimulates the heart and nervous system | 2 to 12 hours |
| Onions, garlic, leeks, chives | Destroys red blood cells | Often 2 to 5 days later |
| Macadamia nuts | Weakness and tremors, mostly in the back legs | Within 12 hours |
| Date stones, cooked bones, corn cobs | Choking or a blocked intestine | Hours to days |
Grapes and raisins
There is no known safe amount. Some dogs eat grapes with no effect. Others develop kidney failure after a small handful, and nobody can predict which dog will react. Dried fruit is more concentrated than fresh, so raisins and sultanas are the greater risk.
Raisins hide in cooking. Look for them in rice dishes, biryani garnish, vermicelli desserts, fruit cake, trail mix, cereal bars and children's snack boxes. Treat any amount as a reason to call, even when your dog looks normal. The kidneys are protected by acting early, before blood values change.
Xylitol in sugar-free products
Xylitol is a sweetener that is harmless to people. In dogs it triggers a surge of insulin. Blood sugar can fall dangerously within half an hour. The dog becomes wobbly and weak, and may have seizures. Larger amounts damage the liver over the following days.
The common source is sugar-free chewing gum from a handbag or a car console. It is also in sugar-free mints and sweets, some diabetic and low-sugar baked goods, some imported peanut butters and some toothpastes. Check labels for xylitol and for birch sugar. A few pieces of gum can be serious for a small dog.
Chocolate
The toxic parts are theobromine and caffeine, and both rise with cocoa content. Cocoa powder and baking chocolate are the most dangerous, followed by dark chocolate and then milk chocolate. White chocolate contains very little, but its fat can still upset the gut.
Signs are restlessness, vomiting, heavy panting, a racing heart and tremors. Severe cases have seizures. Boxed chocolates arrive as gifts throughout Eid and are left on low coffee tables. When you call, have the wrapper ready. The vet works out the risk from the type, the grams eaten and your dog's weight.
Onions and garlic
All members of the onion family damage a dog's red blood cells. Cooked, fried, dried and powdered forms are as harmful as raw. The damage builds over days, so a dog fed leftovers regularly can become anaemic without one obvious incident.
Most home cooking here starts with an onion base. Curries, stews, machboos, kebab mixes, stock cubes and gravy all contain it. Signs appear late. Look for pale gums, tiredness, fast breathing and dark red-brown urine. A blood count shows the anaemia.
Macadamia nuts
Macadamias cause weakness in the back legs, tremors, vomiting and a raised temperature, usually within 12 hours. Most dogs recover in a day or two with supportive care. The bigger concern is the combination. Chocolate-coated macadamias and mixed-nut gift trays deliver two toxins at once, and the salt and fat add a third problem.
Dates and date stones
The flesh of a date is not poisonous to dogs. It is very high in sugar, so more than a small piece causes diarrhoea. It has no place in the diet of a diabetic or overweight dog.
The stone is the danger. It is hard, smooth and the right size to lodge in the small intestine of a small or medium dog. A bowl of dates sits on most tables here, and a bowl of discarded stones beside it.
A dog that takes either can end up with a swallowed object that blocks the gut. Repeated vomiting, a painful belly and no stools are the warning signs.
Filled dates carry extra risks. Check whether the filling was nuts or chocolate. Maamoul and other date pastries add butter and sugar, which can inflame the pancreas.
Others to keep out of reach
- Cooked bones from lamb, chicken and fish, which splinter and lodge in the throat or gut.
- Fat trimmings, ghee-rich leftovers and fried food, which can set off pancreatitis.
- Raw bread dough, which swells in the stomach and produces alcohol as it ferments.
- Coffee grounds, tea bags and energy drinks, because of the caffeine.
- Alcohol in any form, including desserts and unbaked batter.
- Heavily salted snacks and corn cobs.
Why Ramadan and Eid evenings bring more cases
The table is fuller, it is set on low furniture or floor seating, and it stays out for hours. Guests who do not know the rules hand food to the dog. Children drop sweets. Bin bags full of bones and stones wait by the door for the morning.
- Shut your dog in another room with his own meal while food is served and cleared.
- Tell guests plainly that he is not to be fed from the table.
- Put date stones and bones straight into a lidded bin, and take the bag out the same night.
- Keep handbags, gift boxes and sweet trays above counter height.
What to do if your dog has eaten something
- Take away whatever is left and keep the packet.
- Note what he ate, roughly how much, and what time.
- Call 055 620 4085. Have his weight ready if you know it.
- Do not make him vomit at home. Salt water and other home methods cause their own poisonings, and vomiting is unsafe with some substances and in flat-faced breeds.
- Do not wait for signs. With grapes, xylitol and chocolate, the useful window is the first one to two hours.
At the clinic, the vet decides whether to empty the stomach, which blood tests to run and whether your dog should stay on a drip. You are given a written estimate before treatment starts, and standard fees are on the price list.
When to call
Call at once if your dog has eaten any amount of grapes, raisins or xylitol, or any dark chocolate. Call if he has swallowed a date stone or a cooked bone. Call if he is vomiting repeatedly, trembling, wobbly, very restless, or has pale gums.
The phone is answered 24 hours, and the clinic is open 8 AM to 12 AM every day. Our emergency page explains what happens when you arrive.