Whether you roast them over a fire or eat them straight out of a packet, marshmallows are so delectable that once you pop one in your mouth, it’s hard to stop eating.
However, we have to remember that marshmallows are human food. And like most human foods, it’s a bad idea to share them with our furry friends.
So, can dogs eat marshmallows? No, it’s a terrible idea to feed dogs marshmallows. One type of marshmallow can kill dogs. The other, while not toxic to dogs, can still make them ill. So do your pet a favor: keep marshmallows out of their belly!
Read on to know more about the dangers marshmallows pose to dogs.
What are marshmallows?
The marshmallow is a white, solid, foam-like sweet typically consisting of sugar, water, and a whipping agent. Manufacturers sometimes use an artificial sweetener in place of sugar. They may also add food coloring or flavoring such as vanilla.
A popular tradition among campers is to toast or roast skewered marshmallows over an open flame, which liquefies the sweet’s interior while caramelizing its external layer.
Marshmallows can be combined with other foods. For example, a toasted marshmallow and a chocolate slab can be sandwiched between graham crackers to create a smore.
As delicious as marshmallows are, they contain next to zero nutritional value.
Xylitol: why marshmallows are toxic to dogs
People who are watching their weight don’t have to avoid marshmallows forever; they can enjoy the less fattening sugar-free varieties that use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.
Unfortunately, the artificial sweetener found in most sugar-free marshmallows is xylitol, a chemical compound that’s extremely toxic to dogs.
Xylitol ingestion causes a dangerous drop in your dog’s blood sugar levels. This can damage their liver and even cause it to fail, resulting in seizures, a coma, or even death. Other symptoms of xylitol poisoning include stomach upsets, shivering, weakness, exhaustion, and unconsciousness.
Even tiny quantities of xylitol can be dangerous. So it doesn’t matter how big your dog is or how many marshmallows they eat; any amount of xylitol can harm them.
A dog can start showing symptoms of xylitol poisoning around 30 minutes after consuming an artificially sweetened marshmallow. However, symptoms can also take as long as 24 hours to manifest, so a poisoned dog may not show any outward signs of a problem until it’s too late. For this reason, it’s crucial for dog owners to seek a vet’s help if their pet ingests any food with xylitol.
Sugar: why marshmallows are bad for dogs
We’ve established that xylitol-containing marshmallows are bad for dogs. How about marshmallows that use plain old sugar?
The fact is, marshmallows aren’t as fattening as their sweetness suggests. They typically don’t contain much fat and are quite low in carbs. Even their sugar content isn’t as extreme as other confections’. For these reasons, a human won’t gain unnecessary weight from eating a single marshmallow.
So what’s the problem?
It’s the sugar. It’s still too much for a dog. Plus, it’s the kind of sugar that doesn’t get along too well with the doggy digestive system.
Unlike humans, dogs obtain their sugar primarily from carbohydrates, which the canine body breaks down into glucose. Dogs don’t need sugars found in confections such as marshmallows. They may even have trouble digesting it.
And, as previously mentioned, the nutritional value of marshmallows is negligible, so there’s no point in giving them to dogs.
If you feed dogs marshmallows, they may experience the following problems:
If your dog eats marshmallows often, they take in unnecessary amounts of sugar. This means extra calories and therefore extra weight gain that can culminate in obesity.
Obesity can cause a dog myriad problems. It wears down and damages tissue to cause joint pain and increase the risk of fractures. It makes the spine susceptible to problems such as a slipped disc. It raises the vulnerability to heatstroke. It even forces the heart to work harder, which can create conditions conducive to the development of heart disease.
As obesity also makes moving around more challenging, it discourages the dog from engaging in any sort of exercise. The result? They gain even more unhealthy weight!
Blood sugar imbalance
Eating marshmallows increases a dog’s sugar intake, which raises their blood sugar levels.
Frequently feeding your dog marshmallows can prolong the blood sugar level elevation, which can result in dehydration, extreme thirst, depression, lower energy levels, seizures, and even a coma. It can also increase the risk of kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, nerve problems, vision problems, and possibly diabetes.
Pancreatitis
Consuming surplus sugar does your dog’s pancreas no favors.
The pancreas plays a vital role in lowering elevated blood sugar levels after the canine consumes sugar. But if your dog eats too much sugar, the pancreas has to exert additional effort to perform its task. This can lead to a condition known as pancreatitis, which is when the pancreas becomes inflamed or damaged.
A dog with pancreatitis may display symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, poor appetite, lethargy, and fever. Dogs can have “attacks” during which they may stick their butt in the air and lower their head and forelimbs to the ground. A severe attack can cause shock, depression, or even death.
Digestive problems
Your dog’s gut is populated with bacteria whose purpose is to digest the food they eat.
If your pet eats an amount of sugar that isn’t natural to them, the gut bacteria balance gets thrown off, leading to diarrhea, vomiting, gas, and stomachaches. Symptoms range in severity; in extreme cases, your dog has to be taken to the vet for treatment.
Dental issues
When your dog eats sugar, the bacteria in their mouth release acid to break it down. Unfortunately, eating sugar-rich marshmallows requires these bacteria to produce more acid. The higher the acidity level of the mouth, the more vulnerable the teeth are to the formation of cavities.
Loss of appetite
Dogs can get addicted to sweet, sugary foods such as marshmallows. This addiction, in turn, can reduce their interest in foods that they should be eating, such as the nutritious canned goodies, vegetables, and fruits approved by their vet. In short, feeding dogs marshmallows can wreak havoc on their diet and consequently their health.
What to do if your dog eats marshmallows
The steps you need to take if your dog eats marshmallows will depend on the type of marshmallows consumed.
Sugar ingestion
If your dog eats a single marshmallow of the sugary variety, then you shouldn’t worry too much. There’s a good chance your dog’s gut can handle the sugar without any problems. Just make sure not to feed them any additional marshmallows.
If the marshmallow causes vomiting or diarrhea, contact the vet as soon as you can so they can tell you how to help your dog. While your dog will need hydration, you should, initially, only give them moderate amounts of water to drink, as too much can provoke more vomiting. You’ll also have to refrain from feeding them for at least 12 hours. If no problems occur within this period, you can start giving them tiny amounts of low-fat food. Continue feeding them this way 3 times a day for a few days.
Take your dog to the vet if the symptoms persist or worsen.
Xylitol ingestion
If your dog eats even a single marshmallow with xylitol, it’s imperative that you take them to the vet immediately. Xylitol poisoning requires emergency treatment that only your vet can provide. If you wait, your dog’s health will continue to deteriorate until recovery is impossible.
The vet will likely try to induce vomiting even if your dog hasn’t displayed any symptoms yet. Once the clinical signs of poisoning have manifested, your pet will require hospitalization for additional testing and treatment.
Prevention
Always store dangerous items in places where your dog can’t see and access them. This goes for sugary foods as well as foods and products containing xylitol.
Read food and product labels. If they contain substances that can harm dogs, hide them from your pet.
Keep your vet’s contact details where you can easily access them. You can, for example, record their address and phone number in your smartphone.
Pet owners in North America can also contact the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 or Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 should their dog ingest any potentially life-threatening foods.
Final thoughts…
Thanks to their irresistible sweetness, marshmallows can bring people joy whatever the occasion.
Unfortunately, marshmallows have the opposite effect on dogs. From diarrhea to obesity, cavities to pancreatitis, all that sugar can harm your dog. The artificial sweetener xylitol can even kill them.
Keep your dog in great health: never feed them marshmallows!