This dog blog will answer the major question, “Can dogs eat M&Ms?” we will also cover the major unhealthy ingredients of M&Ms, whether your dog can eat peanut M&Ms, and how much M&Ms are toxic for your dog to consume.
Can dogs eat M&Ms?
No, dogs cannot eat M&Ms. M&Ms are toxic for your dog as they have chocolate and high sugar and fat content. The high sugar content can cause diabetes and high-fat content can cause pancreatitis in your dog. Moreover, chocolate is toxic for your dog to consume.
What are the unhealthy ingredients in the M&Ms for your dog?
Following are the unhealthy ingredients in M&Ms for your dog:
High sugar content is dangerous for your dog
The high sugar content can cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels and diabetes in your dog.
Diabetes is a disease that has several complications. The one complication is the delayed wound healing in your dog. Delayed wound healing is due to the depressed immune system of the body which can ultimately prone the body to several lethal infections. Moreover, there are excessive urination problems for your dog if your dog is diabetic.
Diabetes has two forms. One is called type I diabetes and the other is called type II diabetes. Type I diabetes is due to the low level of insulin production in the body. Type II diabetes is due to the failure of the body to respond to the level of insulin in the body.
High amount of fat is lethal for dogs
The high level of fat in the M&Ms can cause pancreatitis and obesity in your dog.
The pancreas is the principle organ that releases enzymes in the duodenum. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of the food in the intestine of your dog.
Moreover, the pancreas is also responsible for the production of several other factors such as insulin which will lower the blood sugar level in the body. The inflammation of the pancreas is due to the high consumption of fat in the body.
Pancreatitis is a severe condition in which there is severe abdominal pain and other clinical signs like:
- Swollen pancreas
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
Your dog will take a characteristic preying position during an episode of pancreatic pain. If you see this posture of your dog, you need to call your vet and seek advice from your vet.
The next deadly condition is obesity which is due to the deposition of the fat content in the body of your dog. The high-fat content in the body can block the major arteries of the heart which can cause the heart to work more and more which can lead to a heart attack in your dog. This can cause the death of your dog.
The next consequence of obesity is chronic joint problems such as arthritis which is the inflammation of the joint capsule. This is a painful condition and is due to the increasing weight of your dog. The increasing weight will put pressure on the joint leading to inflammation of joints.
Chocolate toxicity in your dog
The M&Ms have chocolate in them which is toxic for your dog due to the compounds methylxanthine and theobromine.
These compounds are not easily cleared from the body by the liver therefore it builds up in the body leading to toxicity in your dog. The major organ it affects is the liver of the body because this is the principle organ that is involved in the metabolism of food in the body.
Can dogs eat peanut M&Ms?
No, dogs cannot eat peanut M&Ms. Peanut is safe for your dog to eat but peanut M&Ms have chocolate in them which is not healthy for your dog to eat. You should avoid all kinds of M&Ms in the case of your dog.
How much M&Ms are toxic for your dog to consume?
If your dog consumes 1 to 2 M&Ms then it wouldn’t cause any problems for your dog but if your dog consumes a pound of M&Ms then it will surely cause toxicity in your dog.
How to prevent your dog from consuming M&Ms?
It is very difficult but what you can do is clean the floor when your kids drop some M&Ms on the floor because your dog has the habit of eating everything on the floor.
Conclusion
In this dog blog, we entertained our important question, “Can a dog eat M&Ms?” we also covered the major unhealthy ingredients of M&Ms, whether your dog can eat peanut M&Ms, and how much M&Ms are toxic for your dog to consume.
References
https://www.rover.com/blog/can-dog-eat-mms/#:~:text=No.,break%20down%20like%20we%20can.
https://iandloveandyou.com/blogs/pet-blog/chocolate
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-safety-tips/is-chocolate-poisonous-to-dogs/