Any dog owner’s first priority is keeping their dog safe and healthy. We often find ourselves sharing our treats with dogs, which most times is great for the pup! However, not all treats are edible to dogs. This leads us to the big question: can dogs eat candy corn? The easiest answer to this question is no, they cannot eat candy corn. Even a small amount can be extremely toxic to dogs, and cause a lot of health problems.
What makes candy corn poisonous to dogs?
Sugar itself is not a part of dogs’ diets, because their bodies cannot
process it the way humans can. Candy corn contains a large amount of sugar, making it an immediate danger to any pup that gets ahold of it. Along with the high levels of sugar, many varieties of candy corn contain sugar substitutes.
Sugar substitutes can cause serious damage to your dog’s internal organs, and will continue to cause issues down the line. Even a small amount of fake sugar can cause symptoms, and even lead to seizures.
What symptoms should you expect if your dog consumes candy corn?
The sugar found in candy corn can cause mild symptoms such as dizziness, and fatigue. If your dog eats candy corn with fake sugar, the symptoms range from mild to serious. Shortly after consumption your dog may experience the following symptoms:
- Weakness
- Incoordination
- Vomiting
- Seizures
In the worst cases of xylitol (fake sugar) poisoning dogs have been observed to have extreme low blood pressure, liver failure, and at the very worst, death.
What should you do if your dog eats candy corn?
If you know, or suspect, that your dog has eaten some candy corn, contact your local veterinarian or pet poison control immediately. Xylitol is so toxic to dogs that they only need a few pieces of candy corn to be at risk for xylitol poisoning.
Avoid giving your dog anything orally until instructed by your veterinarian to do so. Do not try to induce vomiting, or force your dog to drink water. There are several treatments that can be administered to your pet to help, so notify someone as quickly as you can. Even if your dog has yet to show signs, if you know they have eaten candy corn, seek medical help before symptoms show.
Are some brands or product types more or less harmful for dogs?
Any product containing any form of artificial sugar is extremely harmful for dogs. Therefore, anything with real sugar is going to be less harmful than those without. Despite this, any treat with a high sugar content is not suggested for dogs.
During the holiday seasons, many candy corn-like dog treats can be found, allowing your dog to enjoy the treat with you! Sticking to dog specific treats is the more secure way to avoid poisoning your dog by accident.
However, sometimes we just want to be able to share with our dog. Every dog is different, meaning some dogs can be known to eat sugar and have no issues. In most cases, so long as the candy is made of real sugar, your dog can enjoy a small amount. Monitor them when you give them the candy, and provide only a small amount and no more afterwards. Dogs cannot have candy in their diet often, but an occasional treat can often be harmless so long as it is only a bite or two.
When Halloween rolls around, or you simply have a bag of candy corn handy, be sure to check the ingredients! If no sugar alcohol is found, enjoy sharing just a piece with your dog so they can celebrate with you!
Please make sure to consult your vet before feeding your dog or animal candy corn.