Can Dogs Eat Candy? Learn About Your Dog’s Relation with Sugar

Can dogs eat candies?

You don’t want to enjoy all the halloween candies as your four-legged friend watches you enjoy, can you? 

Well, if that’s what you’re thinking, let us stop you. Candies and certain foods high in sugar are potential health hazards for your dog. 

These can upset their stomach and put their overall health in a dangerous situation. If you’re thinking of giving cadies to dogs, then we suggest reading this article before you do so. 

Can Dogs have Sugar or Candies?

Your dog can sense things from miles away. That also applies to sweets. Sometimes, their count can be quite curious. No, sugar isn’t toxic to dogs. However, it’s also not very helpful to them either.

Why? 

Well, dogs also have taste buds for the sweet taste like humans do. They are omnivorous creatures that can eat both meat and plant materials. 

However, the carbohydrates that dogs can naturally eat in the wild consist of fibers and sugar materials found in different fruits. 

So, does that mean dogs can also eat table sugar and candy as well? 

No, table sugars and candies aren’t natural to dogs. As per different investigations, granulated sugar can cause stomach pain and cause an imbalance of gut bacteria. 

The results of eating sugar or candy can often be discomforting for your little friend. They can feel –

• Stomach pain.
• Diarrhea. 
• Gas.
• Discomfort. 
• Vomiting. 

The symptoms can range from slight tummy aches to severe problems requiring you to take your doggy to the hospital. The result also depends on how sensitive your puppy is to certain candies, gummies, or sugar. 

Also, it’s important to remember that excessive consumption of sugar can cause tooth problems, diabetes, and weight gain. In fact, it can often result in other health issues as well. 

Which Candies are Toxic for Dogs? 

Now that you know that candies can be dangerous for your dog, which candies should your dog stay away from? 

Chocolate-Covered Raisins

Your dogs shouldn’t have chocolate-covered raisins. Two different types of dangers come out of eating chocolate-covered raisins. 

Both raisins and chocolates can cause toxicity in your dog’s stomach. In fact, some dogs can become excessively ill and also die of kidney disease. This is possible even if your dog is eating one grape or one raisin. 

Signs of eating raisins can be like toxicity from eating chocolates. But, sometimes, they will focus on severe levels of thirst or frequent urination, vomiting, poor appetite, and lethargy. 

If your dog has eaten any amount of rice or grapes, it’s best to check their health for the symptoms we’ve mentioned above. Mount Pleasant Vet at Pasir Ris is an excellent vet clinic to consider if you’re near Singapore and facing these issues.

Hard Candy

Similarly, hard candies can be bad for your dog. It’s not best to give hard candies to your dogs. With this, you have a high sugar content, upsetting the stomachs of the dogs. Yes, there are some sugar-free variants of these candies as well. 

However, they contain xylitol – an artificial sweetener – which is more dangerous for dogs and can also cause serious health issues. Having these in small amounts can also cause seizures or death. 

Candy Corns

Keep your dog away from hard candy corn as well. It’s considered unhealthy for dogs, and they have high sugar content, causing digestive issues in dogs. These foods can cause digestive issues in dogs. 

There can be different problems with these, including vomiting, gas, diarrhea, etc. In some cases, it can lead to pancreatitis or also cause severe health issues in dogs. 

Candy Wrappers

Lollipops are also not so good for dogs. It’s not a good decision to give them candy wrappers. These chocolates have high sugar content and can act as choking hazards to dogs, making them risky for intestinal blockage for canines.  

So, no Sweets for Dogs, Then? 

I’m afraid that I’ll have to say NO. Dogs aren’t comfortable eating sweets and other food as we do. However, if you really don’t want them to miss out on the holiday spirit, go for dog treats that your vet recommends. Dog treats and dog foods are the only things they should eat to stay healthy and happy. 

However, some fruits and vegetables containing natural sugar don’t harm your dog. For example, cashews, bananas, watermelons, and raspberries are safe for dogs. However, they should also eat these in moderation.