Kerala kitchen foods that aren't safe for dogs
Short answer: the most common risks in a Kerala kitchen are onion, shallots and garlic (in almost every curry), raisins (in payasam and plum cake), raw appam batter, bones from fish and chicken curry, chocolate, xylitol in sugar-free sweets, and salty snacks like banana chips and pickles. If your dog eats any of them, call your vet.
Most dogs in Kochi share some of the family's food, and some of it is fine. A few everyday ingredients aren't. This list puts the well-known toxic foods next to the dishes they turn up in here.
Foods to keep away from your dog
| Food | Where it hides in a Kerala kitchen | Why it's a problem |
|---|---|---|
| Onion, shallots and garlic | Theeyal, sambar, curries, chammanthi, masala bases, ulli vada | They damage red blood cells and can cause anaemia, as well as stomach upset. Cooking doesn't make them safe, and they hide in most leftover curry. |
| Grapes and raisins | Payasam, Christmas plum cake, kesari, fruit cake | They can damage a dog's kidneys. Keep payasam and cake out of reach, even small amounts. |
| Alcohol | Toddy, wine, rum-soaked plum cake | Causes vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of coordination and breathing trouble, and can be fatal. |
| Raw yeast dough and batter | Appam and palappam batter, unbaked bread dough | Rising dough can bloat and even twist the stomach, which is an emergency, and the yeast produces alcohol. |
| Chocolate, coffee and tea | Chocolates, cakes, filter coffee, chaya | Contain methylxanthines, which cause vomiting, hyperactivity, an abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures. Dark and baking chocolate are the worst. |
| Xylitol | Sugar-free sweets, sugar-free gum, some peanut butters and 'diabetic' snacks | Can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver damage. Check labels for xylitol before sharing anything sugar-free. |
| Salty snacks and pickles | Banana chips, mixture, achaar, salted fish, papadam | Too much salt causes thirst, vomiting and diarrhoea, and in large amounts tremors and seizures. |
| Bones from curries and fries | Fish bones from meen curry and fry, chicken and mutton curry bones | Bones can choke a dog or get stuck in the gut, and sharp pieces can injure the mouth and stomach. Don't share plates with bones on them, and keep the bin closed. |
| Nuts, especially macadamias | Macadamias, walnuts, almonds | Macadamias cause weakness, vomiting and tremors. Other nuts are very high in fat and can trigger stomach upset or pancreatitis. |
| Fatty scraps and skin | Fat trimmed from beef fry, chicken skin, ghee-heavy leftovers | Rich, fatty food can upset the stomach and can trigger pancreatitis, a painful inflammation that may need a vet. |
| Milk and milk sweets | Milk, payasam, halwa, ice cream | Most dogs have little lactase to digest milk, so dairy often means diarrhoea. |
| Raw meat, fish and eggs | Scraps from cleaning fish or chicken | Can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. |
What about coconut, rice and spice?
Can dogs eat coconut?
In small amounts, coconut is unlikely to cause serious harm. Fresh coconut flesh and coconut milk are oily and can cause stomach upset and loose stools, so keep it to a little now and then.
Can I give my dog leftover rice and curry?
Plain rice is fine. The problem is the curry: most Kerala curries contain onion, shallots or garlic, along with salt, chilli and oil. Don't share curry, and keep bones out of the bowl.
What should I do if my dog eats something on this list?
Note what they ate, roughly how much and when, and call your vet straight away. Don't wait for symptoms, and don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Festival weeks need extra care
Onam sadya, Vishu, Christmas and weddings put payasam, plum cake, banana chips and leftovers within reach for days. Ask guests not to share plates, keep the bin closed, and keep cake and sweets off low tables.
How Pawsh cooks around this
Every Pawsh bowl leaves out onion, garlic, added salt, masala, fillers and by-product meal. Our Everyday Chicken Bowl is 60% chicken, 20% brown rice and 20% steamed vegetables, cooked in Kochi. If you cook for your dog at home, our FAQ covers portions and switching.