Can dogs eat candy?

Sugar-free gummies, mints, and hard candies may use xylitol, which can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar within an hour and liver damage later. Chocolate bars, chocolate-coated nuts, and chocolate raisins carry theobromine plus other risks. Some candies contain macadamia nuts or coffee.

Any of these warrants an immediate call to your vet or a pet poison helpline.

Gummy bears, jelly beans, and fruit chews made with ordinary sugar are not toxic, but a large amount can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Some sugar-free sweets use sorbitol or maltitol instead of xylitol; these are not considered toxic but can cause significant diarrhea.

Sour candies with acid coatings may irritate the mouth.

Dogs often eat candy wrapped. Plastic and foil wrappers can clump together and cause a blockage. Lollipop sticks can lodge in the throat or pierce the gut. Hard candies can get stuck in the throat of small dogs.

After Halloween or a party, count the wrappers you find against the candy that is missing.

Trick-or-treat buckets left on the floor are a classic hazard. Store them in a high cupboard, and remind children not to share. Give your dog a stuffed chew toy in a quiet room while the doorbell is ringing, which also helps dogs that find visitors stressful. Dogs that are used to settling with a chew are much less likely to go looking for the sweet bowl, and a baby gate across the hallway keeps curious noses away from the front door and the candy tray. Put the bowl for trick-or-treaters on a high shelf between visits.