As we all know, dogs and Halloween candy don’t mix. But are there some candies that are more dangerous than others? From fruity treats to milk and dark chocolate, candies vary in their potential for harming our dogs. Read on to find out which Halloween candies are more harmful to your dog than others.

 

Not a Threat in Small Quantities
When it comes to your dog and candy, a “small quantity” is considered less than 10 grams or roughly two teaspoons. Here is a list of the least harmful sweets when ingested in small amounts.

• Candy Corn
• Jolly Ranchers
• Lemonheads
• Skittles
• Sour Candy
• Starburst
• Smarties
• Blow Pops

 

Unsafe in Large Quantities
A “large quantity” is considered greater than 10 grams. Chocolate is the most dangerous kind of candy and can be extremely harmful to small dogs, so weight is a factor in chocolate toxicity.

• Almond Joy
• Reese’s
• M&Ms
• Snickers
• Kit Kat
• Twix
• Tootsie rolls
• Butterfinger
• Milky Way
• Unsafe in any quantity
• Bubble gum containing Xylitol
• Raisinets
• Raisin-containing candy

 

 

Sugar-Free Treats and Xylitol
Don’t let sugar-free candy fool you. The artificial sweetener Xylitol is highly toxic to pets. The majority of sugar-free or “low calorie” foods and candy contain Xylitol. When ingested, pets can experience symptoms such as low blood sugar, seizures, and liver failure.

Milk Chocolate vs. Dark Chocolate
Have you ever wondered why chocolate is so bad for dogs? Well, due to a compound called theobromine, chocolate is toxic to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated the theobromine. That’s why you should be more concerned about your pup ingesting darker chocolates rather than milk chocolate.

That said, that doesn’t mean milk chocolate is ideal for dogs. Something that most don’t realize is that there is minimal chocolate in milk chocolate. If you dig to ingest a small amount of milk chocolate, the outcome won’t be toxic but could lead to GI upset due to the sugar and fat. However, a small dog and a large quantity can be an issue. The relative level of toxicity is related to the amount of chocolate ingested, the type of chocolate, and the pet’s size. Smaller dogs and larger amounts of chocolate are the most dangerous combination.

Symptoms of Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs

• Hyperactivity
• Tremors
• Elevated Heart Rate
• Seizures

Symptoms of toxicity can take hours or even days to show up in pets, depending on their size. In many cases, when a pet looks sick, it may be too late to treat them successfully. Contact a veterinarian or animal poison control immediately if your pet ingests chocolate, artificial sweeteners, raisins, or macadamia nuts. And when in doubt, call for help.