Can dogs have gummy bears? Gummy bears are a popular treat in many homes, especially during special occasions such as birthdays and holidays. They’re also used for fun prizes in classrooms and at parties. And sometimes we want to give our furry friend a street.
But, can dogs have gummy bears? Gummy bears can be extremely toxic for dogs. They can cause not only obesity but hallucinations, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even cause their death. There are a lot of healthy options for dogs.
Read on this article to learn more about why dogs can’t have gummy bears!
What Are Gummy Bears made of and Can dogs have gummy bears?
Gummy bears contain gelatin, which is made from collagen found in animal skin and bones. The source of this collagen is likely pork or horse bones. Gelatin may be flavored and artificially colored to resemble gummy bears. It is most likely vegetarian friendly because it does not need to come from an animal with a central nervous system [so no brains!].
In addition to gelatin, these sweets also include corn syrup, sugar, artificial colors, citric acid, and/or ascorbic acid. Some gummy bears are made with the preservative sodium benzoate, which is used to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Gummy bear ingredients today include sugar, corn syrup, gelatin (made with collagen), artificial colors and flavors, citric acid, and/or ascorbic acid. A variety of preservatives are also frequently used to increase shelf life. Some popular ones include sodium benzoate, methylparaben, butylparaben, propyl gallate, bic acids.
Why Are My Dog’s Gummies Bad For Him?
Gummy bears contain gelatin made from collagen obtained from the boiled bones, skins, and tendons of animals. Although gelatin makes for a great binding agent, it does not provide any nutritional value to your pet other than carbs which they don’t need more of (because they’re getting carbs from candy). If your dog consumes enough gummies, he will begin vomiting, have diarrhea or become lethargic because of the high amounts of sugar and empty calories.
Gummy bears also pose a choking hazard for your pet if consumed whole from the bag or box. If you suspect your dog has eaten more than he should of, contact your vet immediately.
What side effects will Gummy Bears have on your dog?
Believe it or not, human-grade gummies can be extremely toxic to our canine friends. There needs to be more awareness of how harmful gummy bears can be for dogs. Read on this article to learn more about what could happen if your dog consumes these sweet little candies!
10. Sugar rush & obesity
One treat isn’t going to make your dog obese, but eating too many of them will cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. It has been estimated that each year, around 1/3 of dogs who visit the vet are obese. If your dog is overweight, it may be a good idea to cut down on gummies, so they don’t gain weight from eating them.
9. Hallucinations
In some cases of dogs who have gotten into their owners’ stash of gummy bears, symptoms include hallucinations. Whether or not you believe in this type of phenomenon, it’s clear that eating too many could cause problems for your furry friend.
8. Diarrhea
As mentioned before, feeding these candies to dogs can result in diarrhea and an upset stomach. The sugar rush will give them the “hyper” effect at first, but then they’ll crash very hard later on because of all that artificial sugar that has no nutritional value.
7. Diabetic issues
Since gummy bears are primarily made up of sugar, feeding a lot of them to your dog can create problems if they have diabetes. If you notice that your pet has a serious sweet tooth, then it might be a good idea to keep their access restricted to these candies.
6. Not enough nutrition
As mentioned before, gummies lack nutritional value and instead contain artificial sugars, which aren’t good for our canine friends. In general, this is why we shouldn’t feed our pets human food because it’s not nutritionally balanced for them anyway. It wouldn’t hurt so much if they just ate one or two gummy bears now and then, but eating too many will cause health problems down the road.
5. Lethargy and vomiting
A sugar rush followed by a crash and nausea isn’t fun for humans, so we can only imagine how bad it is for dogs! If your dog seems to be in a daze after eating too many gummy worms or other types of candy, then it’s probably time to get them checked out by the vet just in case there’s something dangerous going on.
4. Abdominal pain
Eating anything that doesn’t agree with their body will cause abdominal pain in dogs. When you see that they’re not acting like themselves after getting into human food, take them to the vet right away because this could be signs of pancreatitis.
3. Black stool
Swallowing too much food coloring, especially black dye, can turn your dog’s stools black. This is perfectly normal if they ate a little bit of dye, but it could be a sign that something more serious is going on if they’ve eaten a lot of a certain color food dye.
2. Paralysis
In the most extreme cases, eating gummies could cause paralysis in dogs. The best way to avoid this from happening is to make sure your canine companions never get access to them. Ingesting high amounts of xylitol – another artificial ingredient found in many candies- can also lead to organ failure and problems with their central nervous system.
1. Death
Yes, you read that right. If your dog gets into many gummy bears, it could result in toxicity and even death. It’s not common for them to eat enough to kill them, but why risk it? The best thing you can do is keep these treats up high and away from your fur babies.
What Else Can I Give My Dog In Place Of Gummy Bears?
Area veterinarians have approved many other products that can be given to your dog in place of gummy bears, including organic fruit chews/fruit leathers, biscuits, dried fruits and vegetables, ice pops (made without any candy or chocolate), etc. A better alternative would be giving them a treat that is easy to consume, such as training treats, because they require less chewing effort by their tiny teeth. Your veterinarian will gladly give you a list of the best treats to give your pet.
Gummy bears are tasty and enticing, but there are many safer alternatives available to you!
While one or two candies won’t cause any problems, feeding too many candies made for humans will make dogs sick. In extreme cases, this could lead to paralysis, organ failure, or even death. Instead of buying candy for your dog as a special treat, stick to dog-specific snacks that will be much healthier!
Gummy bears might seem like a fun snack, but they’re really bad for our canine companions. If you’ve ever wondered if gummy bears are bad for dogs, then just remember that too much of anything is never a good thing, and this goes for candies! You might think that you’re doing your dog a favor by feeding them fun treats now and then, but it’s more harmful than anything else.
Try sticking to healthier alternatives such as healthy chew toys or biscuits instead.
