We all know that Chocolate is not good for dogs. RIGHT? But besides chocolate, did you also know that candy and other treats containing xylitol (an artificial sweetener) are very dangerous for dogs. It doesn’t take much of it to make your dog sick. And when eaten in human serving amounts it can cause death rather quickly. Xylitol can act as a poison, even in very small dosages. Only one stick of sugarless chewing gum containing xylitol can be fatal for a small dog.
Any candy ingested in large amounts may cause vomiting and at the very least your dog will have an upset tummy. Eating any foods that are high in sugar can cause your dog to be prone to worms. Sugar is also hard on the GI tract. Long term effects include diabetes.
In the short term, sugar and other ingredients in candy are bad for the dog’s teeth and most of the treats designed for human consumption will cause your dog to develop diarrhea.
So when your kids come back from Trick-or-Treating this Halloween make certain you store their “bags of goodies” way up out of the reach of your pets.
If you want to give your dog something special for Halloween (or during the upcoming holiday season) be sure you come back tomorrow. I’ll have some “pet safe” recipes for you so you can make some tasty treats for your best friend. Bonus: you can eat them too!!!
Tomorrow: Halloween Treats for Dogs
