Has your mischievous puppy or adult dog eaten some of your candy? Are you worried about what will happen to them and if you need to seek medical attention or not? That’s why we exist and on this article we’ll ask, Can dogs eat Skittles, Starburst and other candy. You might be able to enjoy a few of them without much harm but the question is, does the same apply to your dog?
Can Dogs Eat Skittles?
Skittles are mainly sugar. They have a sugar shell and chewy, sugary inside. Throw a little flavoring and coloring into the mix and you have Skittles. On the surface, it isn’t much, but to a human it’s amazing and your dog may think the same way as well.
The problem is, they should not be eating them. There is no nutritious value in these candies for dogs. They are not healthy for us humans and while they are okay for us in moderation, on account of the fact that we have a very varied diet, they are not okay for dogs, who do not. They are unlikely to cause them serious harm, although they may cause discomfort if eaten in large quantities, but you should avoid giving them to your dog willingly.
Can Dogs Eat Starburst?
These are very similar to Skittles and as with the aforementioned candies you should not feed Starburst to your dog. They have no nutritious value and are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, none of which are going to do your puppy any favors. So, avoid giving them any.
If they eat them without knowing they should be okay, barring a little discomfort, but that discomfort will likely be a lot worse if they have preexisting issues with their digestive system or if they are very old or young.
Can Dogs Eat Candy?
As you might have figured out already, no candy is good for dogs. In many cases the base ingredient is okay. They tend to use gelatin in a lot of candies and this is basically boiled skin and bones of animals like fish, cow and pig. This is the case with Peeps, as discussed in our Dogs and Peeps guide.
However, the very next ingredient is often sugar. In fact, in most cases the top three ingredients in candies are sugar and syrup, which means that even when they are gelatin based they are still basically a big lump of sugar.
Sugar is not good for your dog. They are animals that evolved to eat a diet rich in protein, with minimal fat and carbs. If you start feeding them large quantities of processed sugars, which are simple carbs, then you’re going to throw that diet out of whack. They won’t be getting the nutrients they need, they won’t satisfy their hunger and, perhaps more importantly, you will set a precedent. In the future they might expect candy and will avoid eating their food just to get it, much like a child would.
Not all dogs will eat candy, but if they see humans enjoying it then they will certainly give it a go. As mentioned above, small amounts won’t do them much harm so there is nothing to worry about if they consume just a little without you knowing, but you should avoid feeding candy (or sweets if you are from the UK) to your dog.