Can dogs eat sweets?

What to watch out for

• Xylitol can make blood sugar drop suddenly and damage the liver: if your dog ate some, contact a vet straight away.
• Chocolate sweets and sweets with raisins are dangerous to dogs.
• A lot of sugar and fat can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and inflammation of the pancreas.
• Wrappers, foil and sticks can block the gut.
• Contact a vet if your dog vomits, staggers, is weak, trembles or has belly pain.

Different parts

Not every part of this food is equally safe.

• Sweets with xylitol

  Dangerous

  Xylitol is very dangerous to dogs, so if your dog ate some, contact a vet straight away.

• Chocolate sweets

  Dangerous

  The theobromine in chocolate is dangerous to dogs, so if your dog ate some, contact a vet straight away.

• Sweets with raisins

  Dangerous

  Raisins are dangerous to dogs, so if your dog ate some, contact a vet straight away.

• Wrappers and sticks

  Not safe

  They do not digest and can block the gut.

What it can cause

Signs that can appear after eating it. Each page explains what to look out for and when to hurry to a vet.

• Dog vomiting
• Dog wobbly walking
• Dog seizures
• Dog with a painful belly when touched
• Dog diarrhoea

What to give instead

Foods that are safer to give.

• Apples Yes, apples are fine for dogs: give small pieces without the core and seeds, as an occasional treat. Safe
• Blueberries Yes, blueberries and bilberries are fine for dogs: give a few washed, unsweetened berries as an occasional treat. Safe
• Carrots Yes, carrots are fine for dogs: raw or cooked, unseasoned and cut into pieces, they make a crunchy, low-calorie treat. Safe
• Strawberries Yes, strawberries are fine for dogs: wash the berry, remove the leaves, cut it up and give it as an occasional treat. Safe