Dangers of Halloween Candy For Your Dog

Pets have much more to worry about than gaining weight if they eat your candy. Calls to the Pet Poison Helpline go up by 12% every Halloween.

Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine – dogs don’t metabolize these but are attracted to the taste. Who doesn’t love chocolate?! 

The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine and caffeine. These chemicals can cause vomiting and diarrhea in lesser amounts, and too much can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and in severe cases tremors and seizures.

How much is too much? It depends on the pet, their size, age, and overall health.

Candies Have Dangers Too

Additional concerns with candy include

• intestinal obstructions from wrappers;

• kidney damage from raisins;

• pancreatitis from all the sugar and fat;

• but worst of all is Xylitol.

Xylitol is a sugar substitute and is toxic in very small amounts. It is common in gums and hard candies and even in peanut butter! Xylitol causes liver damage and low blood sugar, which could lead to seizures, coma, and death. 

What Do You Do If You Think Precious Got Into the Candy?

First, try to figure out what was consumed, then call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline for advice.

You should always keep a list of your closest Pet Emergency Vets near the phone and know where you would go in an emergency – when you are panicked is no time to figure out where to get help.

Of course, prevention is the best option. Keep that candy where pets can’t get to it! I keep my chocolate in the fridge or freezer. So far, they haven’t been able to open those!