Halloween sweets and pets: chocolate, xylitol and wrappers

Halloween puts bowls of sweets at nose height for a few days, and dogs are very good at finding them. Cats are much less interested in sweets, so most of this note is about dogs.

1. Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine, which dogs clear very slowly. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is:

• White chocolate has almost none.
• Milk chocolate, the kind in most fun-size bars, has some, so a small dog eating several bars is a real worry.
• Dark chocolate, baking chocolate and cocoa powder are the most dangerous.

Signs usually start 6 to 12 hours after eating: restlessness, vomiting, panting, a racing heart and, with large amounts, shaking or seizures. Use the chocolate risk calculator to get a rough idea of how serious it is, then ring your vet. More detail is in Is chocolate dangerous for dogs?.

2. Xylitol in sugar-free sweets and gum

Xylitol is a sweetener in sugar-free gum, mints and sweets, and also in some peanut butters, baked goods, toothpastes and chewable vitamins. It is sometimes listed as birch sugar.

In dogs, xylitol triggers a big release of insulin, so blood sugar drops fast. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual:

• Doses above about 100 mg per kg of body weight can cause dangerously low blood sugar.
• Doses above about 500 mg per kg can cause liver failure in some dogs.
• Signs can start within 30 minutes. With some gums they are delayed by 12 to 18 hours, so a dog that seems fine at first may still be in trouble.

Signs of low blood sugar include weakness, wobbliness, vomiting, collapse and seizures. Different gums contain very different amounts of xylitol, so keep the packet and read it to the vet or poison line.

The Merck manual says dogs are the only pets reported to be poisoned by xylitol. That is good news for cats, but sugar-free sweets are still no treat for them.

3. Raisins and wrappers

• Raisins turn up in snack boxes and trail mix. They can cause sudden kidney failure in dogs, with no known safe amount. See Can dogs eat grapes or raisins?.
• Wrappers, foil and lolly sticks can cause choking or block the gut, especially when a dog swallows a whole stash at once.

How to keep Halloween safe

• Keep the sweet bowl and children’s collected sweets up high or behind a closed door.
• Ask children to empty their bags on a table, not the floor.
• Check visitors’ bags and coats. Sugar-free gum in a handbag is a common way dogs find xylitol.
• If the doorbell keeps ringing, give your dog a quiet room so it doesn’t slip out of the front door.
• Choose dog treats for your dog, and keep human sweets for people.

If your dog eats sweets

Call your vet or a pet poison line straight away, before signs appear. Have ready: what was eaten, roughly how much, when, and your dog’s weight. Don’t make your dog sick unless a vet tells you to. Our emergency page has the US and UK poison line numbers.