About PuppyPaw

PuppyPaw is a plain, cited answer to one small but stressful question: can my dog eat that? A grape rolls off the counter, a guest offers a scrap, a new treat looks tempting — and you want a fast, trustworthy verdict, not a wall of hedging. That is the whole reason this site exists.

We are a structured reference database, not a blog. Every food gets one clean record with a plain verdict — SAFE, IN MODERATION, or TOXIC — followed by the reason behind it, a safe serving size where a food is safe, preparation cautions (seeds, pits, cooked-versus-raw, xylitol, salt, cooked bones), toxic-dose context where it matters, and a clear trigger for when to stop reading and call for help.

How each record is built

Every food follows the same schema so you always know where to look: verdict first, then why, then serving size, then prep cautions, then the toxic-dose note, then the “call your vet or poison control” trigger, and finally the source and the date we last checked it. Consistency is part of the trust — you should never have to hunt for the part you need.

Sourcing and review

This is pet-health information, which means accuracy is the product. Every toxicity claim and every serving figure cites a primary or authoritative source — the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, VCA, the American Kennel Club (AKC), or peer-reviewed veterinary literature. We do not publish uncited safety claims, and we never invent a dose. Where the evidence is genuinely mixed or thin, we say so rather than round up to a confident answer.

Every record carries a visible “last verified” date so you can see how current it is. Guidance in this field does change, and a date you can check is more honest than a claim of permanent authority. Records are reviewed against their cited sources on a recurring basis, and corrections are folded in as sources are updated.

What PuppyPaw is not

PuppyPaw is informational only. It is not a substitute for your veterinarian, who knows your dog’s size, breed, age, weight, and medical history — all of which change what is safe. It is also not a symptom checker or a diagnostic tool. We deliberately stop at “this food is toxic; call for help now” rather than trying to guide you through an emergency, because that is exactly where wrong or slow information does harm.

If your dog has eaten something toxic, or you are worried about any reaction, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away. When in doubt, ask your vet — that advice never expires.

For the full standard behind every verdict — how records are researched, sourced, verified, dated, and corrected — see our Editorial & Sourcing Policy.