Is your child fond of feeding candy to your dog, and you are wondering “can dogs have sour gummy worms?” The answers are in the article below!
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Do you remember when you wanted to eat candies and gummies as a kid, but your parents didn’t let you? It was simply because they knew that a heavy intake of these candies could make you sick.
Well, the same goes for your little furry friend – a lot of sour gummy worms can cause stomach issues, tooth decay, obesity, and even diabetes in dogs. However, one or two occasional treats will not hurt them.
So let’s explore why even a sour treat causes problems in dogs.
What Ingredients Do You Find in Gummy Worms?
Gummy worms are small and colorful fruit candies that look like wriggly worms and come in various flavors. The main ingredients of a typical gummy worm include:
- Gelatin,
- Glucose syrup,
- Food colors,
- Citric acid, and
- Sugar.
These are usually sold in a combination of two or more flavors, such as raspberry and orange, and can be chewed for quite a long time.
A single worm contains about 100gm of calories, 15 mg of sodium, and 21 gm sugar with no fat and zero cholesterol.
Can My Dog Eat Sour Gummy Worms?
Yes, but in moderation.
Your dogs can enjoy eating sour gummy worms because they don’t contain anything that is toxic to dogs. But they do have a lot of sugar, so it is essential to eat them in moderation.
It is doubtful that your four-legged friend would suffer after having 2 or 3 sour gummy worms. However, the gummy worms are way too loaded with added sugar and processed food, which means that these worms are not for the dogs to eat in bulk or regularly.
Over the long term, sugary candies can be very harmful to your pet since they are loaded with diabetes causing sugar and chemicals of various kinds.
If you are worried about the effect of candies on your dog, you should also read our articles about Haribo gummy bears, Lifesaver mints, and Swedish fish and how they impact your pup.
What Can Sour Gummy Worms Do to My Dog?
It is acceptable for dogs to have gummy worms, but as their parent or owner, you must always be aware that they shouldn’t overeat.
Apart from getting an upset stomach, there are chances that your pet may eat a worm that is constituted with Xylitol sweetener, which can be fatal for your friend.
There are several issues with a high sugar diet for dogs, such as:
Stomach problems
The most common issue with excess sugar is that it can cause an upset stomach that can show up as vomiting, drooling, and in worse cases, diarrhea. The best way to get rid of an upset stomach is to keep your little friend hydrated, and soon it will feel good and start jumping around the house.
Obesity
It is evident that if your dog regularly eats 2-3 gummy worms, it can become obese in no time. Did you know that 56% of dogs in America are obese? Part of the reason is that we are indulging our furry friends too much with too much junk food and no activity.
In the case of gummy worms, the reason behind obesity it that these candies are high in sugar, and thus, dogs, like humans, start becoming obese in an unhealthy way.
The problem should be corrected soon, or else it can lead to severe health issues and diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, and even cancer.
Tooth problem
It is no surprise that taking a high sugar diet with colored flavors and glucose syrup can lead to various tooth problems, both in humans and animals.
Dogs are known for bad dental hygiene since it is quite a challenge to brush their teeth twice a day. When they take a sugar diet regularly, it is pretty evident that the same can get stuck on their teeth, leading to several tooth and gum problems, like cavities and tooth pain.
Diabetes
The main issue related to your dog having sour gummy worms is a high intake of sugar which can potentially cause serious health problems like diabetes in your dog. Diabetes can further cause a lot of complications.
What Happens if Your Dog Eats Too Many Gummy Worms?
Even if your dog eats too many gummy worms, they are not lethal for them, as long as there is no Xylitol in the product.
You need to be aware of Xylitol sweeteners that can be lethal for your furry friend. It can lead to some severe health conditions in your dog that, in some cases, can also be fatal.
Thus, you need to learn about the ingredients of the gummy worms or candies that you feed your four-legged friend.
Answers to More Frequently Asked Questions
Can dogs eat trolli gummy worms?
Trolli Gummy Worms are sugary treats popular among American children. They are colorful and provide a perfect balance of sugar and sour taste buds.
Even if your dogs love chewing Trolli Gummy Worms, you should not let your child offer too much of it to the dog. These gummy worms are loaded with sugar and cornstarch as the primary ingredients. Excess of these candies can cause obesity and even diabetes.
Can dogs have sour gummy worms?
By now, you must have understood that you can surely give sour gummy worms to your beloved dog, but it comes with risks and potential consequences. Then, why give your furry friend sour gummy worms at all?
The bottom line is that, yes, you can give your dog sour gummy worms in moderation, but as lovers of animals, we can assure you that giving them none is a far better idea. Instead of giving them sour gummy worms, you can feed them healthy alternatives such as fruity snacks, yogurt with berries, popsicles, peanut butter, etc.
Can sour gummy worms kill your dog?
If your dog weighs around 10 pounds, it is possible that it can be toxic for it. However, whether a sour gummy worm can kill a dog or not depends on its ingredients.
If it contains a sweetener named Xylitol, it is poisonous for your dog and can even kill it. Thus, you must always be aware of feeding your furry friend gummy worms.
Can dogs taste sour?
While their sense of taste is not as refined as that of humans, dogs can discern the four major taste groups sweet, sour, bitter and salty.
A Few Final Words
We hope that this article helped you understand the effects of sour gummy worms on your four-legged friend and all the reasons why you should or shouldn’t feed them.
While every dog owner knows the best for their pet, we would personally recommend you avoid giving dogs any sort of gummy or candy due to its high sugar content.
Thank you for reading the article and we hope that we were able to answer all your queries about gummy worms and how safe they are for your dog if not, please drop us a word in the comments section and we will get back to you.