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Pet food safety checker

Check whether a food is usually safe, needs care or can be poisonous for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks and geese.

Can dogs eat blueberries?

Usually safe Yes, in small, plain portions.

Plain, washed blueberries make a good small treat.

How to use it

How the food safety checker works

Choose an animal and type a food. The checker gives one of four answers for that species: usually safe, use caution, avoid or call a vet. Each answer comes with a note on how to prepare it, how much is reasonable, or why it is risky.

The same food can be fine for one animal and poisonous to another. Grapes are a good treat for ducks but can cause kidney failure in dogs, and avocado that a dog might get away with can kill a rabbit or a hen. Always check for the animal you keep rather than borrowing advice for another species.

What the labels mean

  • ‘Usually safe’ means a small, plain portion is generally suitable for a healthy animal of that species. It doesn’t mean the food should be part of their regular diet.
  • ‘Use caution’ means only a little, prepared as described, or that the risk depends on the amount or your animal’s health.
  • ‘Avoid’ means the food is unsuitable for that animal or there is a better choice.
  • ‘Call a vet’ means the food can be poisonous. Get advice straight away if any may have been eaten.

If your animal may have been poisoned

If your animal may have eaten something toxic, a human medicine, mouldy food or packaging, call your vet or Animal PoisonLine straight away. Don’t wait for symptoms or try to make your animal sick. Keep the packaging and have their weight, the amount eaten and the time it happened to hand.

Common questions

Can I use dog food advice for cats or rabbits?

No. Animals digest foods differently. Something tolerated by a dog may be unsuitable or poisonous to a cat, rabbit or bird.

Why does the checker say plain portions?

Preparation changes the risk. A plain food can be very different once it contains onion, garlic, xylitol, chocolate, alcohol, or lots of salt or fat.

Can I feed kitchen scraps to my chickens or ducks?

Not in the UK. It is illegal to feed kitchen scraps, catering waste, meat or meat products to poultry, even birds kept as pets, because of the risk of spreading animal diseases. That includes leftovers from vegan kitchens. Offer raw fruit and vegetables bought or grown for your birds instead.

What if a food isn’t on the list?

It means we haven’t assessed it yet, not that it is safe. If it has been eaten, contact your vet or Animal PoisonLine for advice.

Use the result as a starting point

These tools are planning aids, not a diagnosis or a replacement for veterinary advice. If a pet is unwell, has eaten something risky, or you are unsure what to do next, contact a vet.

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