M&Ms are among the most popular chocolate treats ever made. Many of us are familiar with those multi-colored beads packed with chocolate and other goodies. If you ever get that craving for some good chocolate, a handful of M&Ms can really hit the spot.
Grabbing a handful of M&Ms can cause some spillage. That’s not a problem if you’re eating by yourself. However, your dog could scoop up some of those M&Ms if they fall from your hands.
What’s going to happen if your dog munches on some M&Ms? That’s the main question we’ll be answering in this article.
Stay tuned to find out if eating M&Ms near your dog is something you should be doing.
What Happens if My Dog Eats an M&M?
M&Ms are delicious. They are highly desirable treats that appeal to both kids and adults. Unfortunately, they aren’t safe for our beloved dogs.
Why are M&Ms bad for our dogs? The main issue is with the candy’s primary ingredient.
Chocolate, as you may already know, is toxic to dogs. It contains two specific substances that dogs cannot handle. Those substances are caffeine and theobromine.
Dogs do not possess the ability to properly metabolize either caffeine or theobromine. Their body metabolizes both of those substances very slowly and that’s a problem. Those substances can linger in a dog’s body for a while and they will continue to increase the level of toxicity in there.
Your dog could potentially feel the effects of that toxicity.
A single M&M probably won’t be enough to harm your dog. Even small dogs should be safe if they just ate a single M&M.
However, your pet could be in danger if they eat a handful of M&Ms you accidentally spilled on the floor. They may display various symptoms as they suffer from the effects of chocolate poisoning. Learn more about the common symptoms of chocolate poisoning below.
Vomiting
Vomiting is one of the most common symptoms associated with chocolate poisoning in dogs. Don’t be surprised if your dog starts to do that as well if they managed to eat some M&Ms.
You should also avoid thinking that your dog is fine after vomiting. That does not mean that they have removed the chocolate from their body. If anything, their symptoms may get worse.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is yet another common symptom of chocolate poisoning in dogs. Your pet who ordinarily poops outside may not be able to control their bowels. They may just poop inside your home because the chocolate is messing with their body.
Seizures
Your pet is lucky if the worst symptoms they get from their bout of chocolate poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea. The reality is that things can get so much from there.
In more severe cases of chocolate poisoning, a dog may start to experience seizures. Things can still get worse from there.
Death
Chocolate poisoning in dogs can lead to a fatal conclusion. If your dog ate too much chocolate and you failed to act in time, they can indeed die from the toxicity.
What Happens if My Dog Eats a Peanut M&M?
The presence of a peanut inside an M&M does little to dilute the toxic effects that its chocolate content can have on your dog. The fact that there’s a peanut inside the M&M does not make it any better for your dog. Your pet can still get chocolate poisoning from eating peanut M&Ms.
Speaking of peanuts, you should know that they are not always safe for dogs to eat. That may come as a surprise since peanut butter is a popular treat for dogs.
The main issue has to do with salted peanuts. Salted peanuts are bad for dogs because they contain plenty of sodium. The average dog’s tolerance for sodium is not that high so even a few salted peanuts can mess with their body.
Err on the side of caution and avoid giving your dog any peanut M&Ms or salted peanuts. Offer healthier treats if you want to give your dog something to munch on.
What to Do if My Dog Eats an M&M?
Chocolate poisoning is something you must take seriously. By waiting too long to treat chocolate poisoning, your dog could die from the complications it causes.
So, does that mean that you should take your dog to the veterinarian right away? Your answer to that question should depend on how many M&Ms your dog ate.
Realistically, your dog eating a few pieces of M&Ms is not a big deal. They may get an upset stomach, but that’s about it. Even small dogs will be safe from the severe effects of chocolate poisoning if they only ate a few M&Ms.
It’s different if your dog ate a bag of M&Ms. They are more at risk in those scenarios. Going to the veterinarian is highly recommended at that point.
You should also head to the veterinarian as soon as your dog starts vomiting or pooping frequently. They may be suffering from the onset of chocolate poisoning so take them to the veterinarian to get checked out.
If you’re uncertain about your dog’s condition, you should err on the side of caution and take them to the veterinarian.
How Many M&Ms Are Too Much for Dogs?
Dogs won’t be poisoned by a few pieces of M&Ms. Your dog eating a piece you accidentally dropped on the ground should not be a reason for you to panic.
Typically, dogs have to eat several pounds of M&Ms before they are at risk for chocolate poisoning. Do note however that certain factors can change that.
For instance, dark M&Ms are more toxic to dogs because they contain greater amounts of caffeine and theobromine. You should be more concerned if your dog consumed dark M&Ms instead of the milk chocolate variants.
The size of your dog also matters. Big dogs can eat a significant amount of M&Ms and still avoid the symptoms of chocolate poisoning. Small dogs are more vulnerable so they can get chocolate poisoning faster.
Will One M&M Hurt a Dog?
No, a single M&M is not going to harm your dog. That said, you should still avoid giving M&Ms or other chocolate treats to your pet.
You don’t want your dog developing a craving for chocolate. It would be better to just not give your dog a taste of chocolate so they never learn to seek it out.
