Foods, medicines and plants that are toxic to dogs and cats
Most poisonings happen with ordinary things: a dropped tablet, a sweet left on a table, a plate of leftovers, a plant on the balcony. This list covers common risks in Indian homes, each with the source it comes from.
Foods from the kitchen and the table
Chocolate, coffee, tea and other caffeine
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
These contain methylxanthines. The darker the chocolate and the stronger the caffeine, the greater the risk. WSAVA’s treat guides list caffeinated drinks, including tea, as toxic, so a saucer of chai is not a treat.
Sources: ASPCA: people foods to avoid; WSAVA: treats for dogs; WSAVA: treats for cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Onion, garlic, chives, leeks and shallots
Who is at risk: Cats are more susceptible; dogs are also at risk
They can irritate the gut and damage red blood cells, which can lead to anaemia. Many everyday Indian dishes, from dal tadka to curries and chutneys, start with onion and garlic, which is one reason table leftovers are risky.
Sources: ASPCA: people foods to avoid; WSAVA: treats for cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas
Who is at risk: Dogs (WSAVA also lists them for cats)
They can cause kidney damage. Watch festive sweets, dry-fruit mixes and baked goods that contain raisins.
Sources: ASPCA: people foods to avoid; WSAVA: treats for cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Xylitol (a sugar substitute)
Who is at risk: Dogs
Found in some sugar-free gum, mints, sweets, baked goods, peanut and nut butters, chewable vitamins, cough syrups, mouthwash and toothpaste. It can cause dangerously low blood sugar, starting within 10 to 60 minutes, and liver damage. The FDA advises getting a dog that may have eaten xylitol to a vet immediately, even before signs appear.
Sources: FDA: xylitol and dogs; ASPCA: people foods to avoid. Checked 26 October 2026.
Macadamia nuts
Who is at risk: Dogs
Can cause weakness, wobbliness, vomiting, tremors and overheating.
Source: ASPCA: people foods to avoid. Checked 26 October 2026.
Other nuts, such as almonds and walnuts
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Their high fat content can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and potentially pancreatitis. Keep dry-fruit boxes out of reach.
Source: ASPCA: people foods to avoid. Checked 26 October 2026.
Alcohol and raw yeast dough
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Alcohol can cause vomiting, poor coordination, breathing difficulty, coma and death. Raw dough made with yeast can expand in the stomach and also produces alcohol.
Source: ASPCA: people foods to avoid. Checked 26 October 2026.
Milk and other dairy
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Pets have little of the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so milk can cause diarrhoea. Cornell notes that many cats are lactose intolerant and does not generally recommend milk for them.
Sources: ASPCA: people foods to avoid; Cornell: feeding your cat. Checked 26 October 2026.
Salt and very salty snacks
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Large amounts can cause excessive thirst and urination and, in severe cases, vomiting, tremors and seizures. Namkeen, chips and pickles are better kept to people.
Source: ASPCA: people foods to avoid. Checked 26 October 2026.
Raw or undercooked meat and eggs
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats (and the people handling them)
They can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can also affect people in the household.
Source: ASPCA: people foods to avoid. Checked 26 October 2026.
Bones, cooked or raw
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Bones can injure or block the gut and may need surgery to remove. WSAVA’s treat guides describe both cooked and raw bones as very dangerous.
Sources: ASPCA: people foods to avoid; WSAVA: treats for dogs; WSAVA: treats for cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Medicines and pet products
Keep every medicine in a closed cupboard. Never give a pet a human medicine unless your vet tells you to.
Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
Who is at risk: Cats especially; dogs only under a vet’s direction
The FDA states that acetaminophen is fatal to cats because they lack the liver enzymes needed to break it down. Never give it to a cat.
Source: FDA: pain relievers for pets. Checked 26 October 2026.
Ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin and other human painkillers
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Pain relievers made for people may not be safe in pets, and cats need even more caution. The FDA advises talking to your veterinarian before giving your pet any medication.
Source: FDA: pain relievers for pets. Checked 26 October 2026.
Dog flea and tick products used on cats
Who is at risk: Cats
Some concentrated pyrethroid and amidine products are toxic to cats. Use only products your vet recommends for the species and weight.
Sources: TroCCAP tick and flea guidelines (tropics); Cornell: common cat hazards. Checked 26 October 2026.
Vitamins, supplements and any pills left on tables
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Cornell notes that cats will often gobble up pills they find lying on tables or dropped on the floor, and lists vitamin supplements among common hazards.
Source: Cornell: common cat hazards. Checked 26 October 2026.
Plants in the home, balcony and garden
The ASPCA notes that eating any plant material may cause vomiting and stomach upset in dogs and cats. The plants below can cause more than that. Before you bring a plant home, look it up in the ASPCA’s toxic and non-toxic plants list by its scientific name, since common names vary.
True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Who is at risk: Cats
Every part is toxic to cats, including pollen and the water in a vase. Licking pollen off fur can be enough. Lilies can cause kidney failure within 24 to 72 hours; if treatment is delayed 18 hours or more, kidney damage is generally irreversible, so act at once.
Source: FDA: lilies and cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Gloriosa (flame lily)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Not a true lily, but chewing the roots or tubers may cause serious multi-organ failure.
Source: FDA: lilies and cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Lily-of-the-valley
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Can cause a potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm, as well as vomiting, diarrhoea and weakness.
Source: FDA: lilies and cats. Checked 26 October 2026.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Contains cardiac glycosides. Signs include drooling, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and it can be fatal. Common in hedges and gardens, so watch what a dog chews on walks.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Sago palm and other cycads (Cycas revoluta)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Contains cycasin. Signs include vomiting, black stools, jaundice, bleeding problems and liver failure, and it can be fatal.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Castor bean plant (Ricinus communis)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
The beans contain ricin and are very toxic. Signs usually start 12 to 48 hours after eating and can progress to convulsions and coma.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum), often sold as a money plant
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates that cause intense mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Hang trailing pots out of reach.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Dieffenbachia (dumb cane)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Also contains insoluble calcium oxalates, with the same mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Contains saponins that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Aloe (Aloe vera)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
The plant can cause vomiting, lethargy and diarrhoea. ASPCA notes the gel itself is considered edible; the risk is pets chewing the plant.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Jade plant (Crassula)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Can cause vomiting, depression and poor coordination.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Lantana (Lantana camara)
Who is at risk: Dogs and cats
Can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulty and weakness.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Two common plants listed as non-toxic
The ASPCA lists these as non-toxic to dogs and cats. A pet chewing a lot of any plant may still get an upset stomach.
Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants list. Checked 26 October 2026.
Simple habits that prevent most problems
- Keep bins closed and leftovers off low tables.
- Store medicines, vitamins and sugar-free gum in closed cupboards, not in handbags on the floor.
- Ask guests not to feed sweets, namkeen or chai to your pet.
- Choose plants for the home from the non-toxic list, and keep bouquets with lilies out of homes with cats.
- Save your vet’s number and the nearest emergency clinic in your phone today.
Sources for this page
- People foods to avoid feeding your pets, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Checked 26 October 2026.
- Feeding treats to your dog, WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee (November 2025). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Feeding treats to your cat, WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee (November 2025). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Paws off xylitol; it’s dangerous for dogs, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (content current as of 17 December 2025). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Feeding your cat, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Feline Health Center (last updated 30 April 2026). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Get the facts about pain relievers for pets, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (content current as of 29 September 2022). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Guidelines for the control of ectoparasites of dogs and cats in the tropics, first edition, Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites (TroCCAP) (1 January 2022). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Common cat hazards, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Feline Health Center. Checked 26 October 2026.
- Lovely lilies and curious cats: a dangerous combination, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (content current as of 16 September 2021). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Toxic and non-toxic plants list (individual plant entries), ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Checked 26 October 2026.