Dogs should subsist on a diet of protein, with minimal fat, sugar and protein. But try telling that to your pooch and you won’t get very far. This time we’re asking if dogs can eat jelly beans and jelly babies, or if these sweet treats are basically little balls of sugary poison to your canine.
Can Dogs Eat Jelly Beans?
Glossy, colorful, crunchy and sweet, jelly beans are a great treat for kids and adults alike. However, your dogs should stay well away. There are several issues with these treats where dogs and other animals are concerned.
First, they are loaded with sugar and additives. None of these are healthy and they can cause digestive discomfort. Secondly, they may contain sweeteners such as xylitol. At the very least it will cause them major discomfort and in extreme cases it can lead to all kinds of seriously concerning problems, including death (and they don’t get much more concerning than that). What’s more, reactions from xylitol will occur very quickly, often within half an hour.
Another issue is that it is very easy for your dog to chomp through a number of these little treats in record time. When it comes to treats like twizzlers, it’s hard for them to eat many without you having the time to stop them. But with jelly beans it just takes one mouthful, one bite, for them to consume enough to cause problems.
These treats should not be given to your pet and if you catch them eating them, make sure they stop. If you are too late then just keep a close eye on them and prepare to phone the vet if you notice anything out of the ordinary.
Can Dogs Eat Jelly Babies?
Although these teats have a similar name, there are some key differences. The sugar is still there, as are the additives and sweeteners, but they may actually be less harmful for your dog on account of the fact that they mainly consist of gelatin, which they should be okay to eat.
However, as discussed on our page about Dogs and Peeps, marshmallows are not good for them in large doses and as with jelly beans, it is very easy for your pooch to eat a large amount of these treats.
Keep them out of reach, warn your kid against giving any of them to the dog and make sure you keep a close eye on them if they do consume them. It’s not always easy to stop them. Dogs will do their own thing and you can not be expected to watch them all of the time. But by paying attention to their surroundings and by understanding what is healthy, what is normal and what is toxic, you can prepare to cut those risks out.
Also, by simply not feeding your dog human food on a regular basis you are reducing the risk of them stealing food, as well as the chances of them breeding from you or your guests while eating.