We get a lot of questions about what dogs can and cannot eat. Recently someone asked, can dogs eat caramel popcorn?
Caramel corn, or Caramel popcorn is a favorite treat of a lot of humans. Especially when holiday season rolls around.
But is there any harm in letting your dog snack on the delicious popcorn treat?
Here we’ll take a look at why you shouldn’t let your dog eat caramel popcorn and what can give them instead.
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Contents
Can My Dog Eat Caramel Popcorn?
The short answer is, they shouldn’t. However caramel corn isn’t toxic to dogs like other things we know of, like grapes or chocolate.
For the most part, the harmful part of caramel popcorn is the caramel. It contains lots of sugar and probably butter.
Both of which aren’t healthy for your dog and can cause digestive upset and unnecessary weight gain.
But if your dog eats a few small bites, I doubt it’ll do any harm to them directly. Although, it may give them a tummy ache.
Can my Dog Eat Caramel?
While caramel isn’t toxic to dogs, you should not let your dog eat caramel.
The sugar can cause a bunch of problems you’ll both have to pay for later.
The caramel, and any sugar really, can cause dental problems, contribute to obesity and can eventually lead to diabetes or heart disease.
Can My Dog Eat Regular Popcorn?
As I stated above, the caramel part of the popcorn is what’s not good for your dog.
But your dog can in fact eat plain popcorn, as a snack, without much worry.
If you pop some regular, non-salted non-buttered popcorn, theres no reason not to let your dog have some.
It makes a fine occasional treat and even has some benefits like fiber and trace amounts of minerals.
It’s all the things that humans like to add to the popcorn that causes it to be unhealthy for dogs.
Just be sure to remove any loose kernels, as they could pose a choking risk.
Can Eating Caramel Popcorn Kill My Dog?
If your dog just ate an entire bowl of caramel popcorn and your frantically searching google wondering if you should be worried about your dog, the short answer is no. (Unless they are diabetic and need insulin)
Again, while it’s not healthy for your dog to eat the caramel part, it won’t directly harm them.
Eating it as a snack over time though, can lead to poor health.
What if a Dog Eats Caramel Corn?
Chalk it up to an unfortunate accident. Now that your dog has eaten it, it’s unlikely to cause direct harm.
He may have a tummy ache and could possibly vomit from the excess sugar. But encourage him to drink water and maybe even give his teeth a good scrub.
What to Give Your Dog Instead of Caramel Popcorn?
If you have your heart set on giving your dog a delicious popcorn like treat, why not try a popcorn treat made for dogs!
They have ruff puff treats or pupcorn treats you can buy for your dog. But of course, you could always pop some regular ol’ popcorn and let them snack on that occasionally.
