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Can dogs eat sweets?
Sweets are for people, not pets. Some sweet ingredients are seriously poisonous to dogs, even in small amounts. Here is what to watch for, and what to do if your dog helps itself.
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Dogs should not eat sweets. Some sweets contain ingredients that are poisonous to dogs, sometimes fatally, so the safest rule is not to share sweets with your dog at all. If your dog has eaten sweets, check what was in them and call your vet.
Xylitol: the biggest danger
Xylitol is a sweetener used in low sugar and sugar free products. The PDSA lists it in sugar free chewing gum, sweets, medicines, some nut butters and nicotine chewing gum, and warns that it is extremely harmful to dogs and can be fatal if eaten.
People can eat xylitol, although too much of it has a laxative effect. In dogs, it triggers a surge of insulin. As little as 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight can cause a dose dependent insulin release, and depending on the dose, that can lead to life threatening low blood sugar. Symptoms can start as soon as 30 to 60 minutes after eating it, and vomiting is often the first sign, followed by tiredness and wobbliness. At doses above 500 milligrams per kilogram, liver failure is likely.
Because the dangerous dose depends on the dog's weight, small dogs are at risk from smaller amounts. Keep sugar free sweets and gum well out of reach: see what are sugar free sweets made with?
Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine, a natural chemical that the PDSA warns can be fatal to dogs, cats and rabbits. Dogs break it down far more slowly than people do, and they are the most common victims of theobromine poisoning. The darker the chocolate, the higher the risk, because dark and baking chocolate contain much more theobromine than milk chocolate or chocolate sweets. Chocolate covered sweets, chocolate raisins and fudge with chocolate in it all count.
Raisins, sultanas and currants
Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants contain toxins that are potentially fatal to dogs, and sweets and treats that contain them can seriously damage a dog's kidneys. The PDSA says it is impossible to know whether a particular dog will be affected, so it is always best to call your vet if you think your dog has eaten them.
Wrappers and sticks
Even when the sweets themselves contain nothing poisonous, the packaging can still cause harm. Food wrappers, skewers and other packaging can cause blockages in a dog's gut if they are swallowed.
What to do
If your dog has eaten sweets, try to find out what they were, how many were eaten and when, and keep the packet. Then contact your vet straight away. Do not wait for symptoms to appear: the US Food and Drug Administration warns that with xylitol, serious effects may not show in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours.
Keeping sweets safe
The simplest protection is storage. Keep sweets, chocolate and chewing gum in sealed containers, up high and away from pets, and do not leave bags of pick and mix lying on low tables or in coat pockets: see how should you store pick and mix?
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Questions and answers
What happens if my dog eats sweets?
It depends what was in them. Sugar free sweets and chewing gum can contain xylitol, which is extremely harmful to dogs and can be fatal. Chocolate contains theobromine, and raisins, sultanas and currants can seriously damage a dog's kidneys. Wrappers can cause blockages. Call your vet straight away.
Is xylitol poisonous to dogs?
Yes. The PDSA says xylitol is extremely harmful to dogs and can be fatal. It makes a dog's body release a surge of insulin, which can cause dangerously low blood sugar within 30 to 60 minutes, and larger doses are likely to cause liver failure.
Can a dog eat a jelly sweet?
It is best not to give dogs sweets at all. The real danger comes from particular ingredients, such as xylitol, chocolate and raisins, and from wrappers. If in doubt, call your vet.
Is chocolate worse than sweets for dogs?
Chocolate is dangerous because of theobromine, which dogs break down much more slowly than people. The darker the chocolate, the higher the risk, and dogs are the most common victims of theobromine poisoning.
Sources
- Poisons and hazards for your pets, PDSA
- Are chocolate and sweets poisonous for dogs?, VetPartners
- Xylitol, Wikipedia
- Theobromine poisoning, Wikipedia
- Paws off xylitol; it's dangerous for dogs, US Food and Drug Administration
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat are sugar free sweets made with?Sugar free sweets use sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt and xylitol, often with intense sweeteners. What they are and what the label says.
- Questions people askWhy do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?Sugar free sweets use sugar alcohols the gut cannot fully absorb, so too many can cause wind and diarrhoea. The law requires a warning. And the Haribo saga.
- Questions people askHow should you store pick and mix?Keep pick and mix sealed, cool and dry, away from sunlight. Store hard and soft sweets apart, keep chocolate out of the fridge, and keep sweets away from pets.
- Questions people askWhat is dextrose in sweets?Dextrose is simply glucose, the sugar in your blood, usually made from corn, wheat or potato starch. It is about 80 per cent as sweet as table sugar.
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- Questions people askWhat happens if you swallow chewing gum?Swallowed gum is not digested, but it does not stay inside you either. It passes through in a day or two. Here is what happens, and when to worry.