Are you one of those people that enjoy eating Twizzlers and occasionally share the treat with their pets?
As someone working daily with dogs of all sizes while having three of my own, I totally understand your desire to give your dogs foods you like and enjoy from time to time. You surely know how difficult it is to deny your dog food, especially when he starts to beg while standing still at your feet.
The bad news is that if you really want to preserve your pet’s health, then it is vital that you know exactly which foods are safe and which aren’t. Some foods are sweet treats for humans but might be really dangerous for our furry friends.
Twizzlers can be considered addictive. They are those chewy tube-shaped licorice candies that both adults and kids like to eat. It only takes a single bite for you to get in love with their cherry or strawberry taste.
Regardless of how tasty they are, you should avoid giving your dog Twizzlers in any amount, and I’ll tell you exactly why.
Can Dogs Eat Twizzlers?
The main problem is not that dogs are very much in love with Twizzlers and their taste. It’s more about the high sugar content and the strong taste buds of the pets that react to these foods.
You might also like my articles on whether dogs can eat vanilla bean ice cream, oatmeal cream pies, or cheese puffs.
For example, you’ve surely noticed the sheer pleasure the dogs will feel while devouring a simple fruit like peaches, even though fruits aren’t half as sweet as candy like Twizzlers.
Although no studies or documented cases have been able to show short-term harm or even an instant reaction from Twizzlers to dogs, considering the amount of sugar the treats have, I can surely say that they are not healthy for humans or their pets.
Another bad aspect of Twizzlers is that their sugary taste is made from high fructose corn syrup, which is not only sweeter than regular sugar but also cheaper and is also absorbed more quickly into the system of the pet.
This means that ingesting these sugary treats can cause the dog to suffer from high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or insulin resistance, conditions humans are also predisposed to. So, Twizzlers are something your very small and fragile companion shouldn’t get his paws on.
Are Twizzlers Safe For Dogs?
No, you shouldn’t consider Twizzlers safe for your dog or other small-sized pets. You should also try to stay away from them or at least eat them in limited amounts because they have a pretty high content of sugar.
Considering the severe consequences of sugar in both humans and their pets, we can easily conclude that consuming this treat can not only create dental problems for a dog, but also physiological issues. Keep in mind that this article was made around the consumption of either a large amount of Twizzlers at once o frequent consumption in small dosages. Giving your dog this candy just once, or at least once in a long while, shouldn’t cause any severe health issues.
Another important aspect is that the licorice plant, something that can become toxic for dogs when given in high enough doses, isn’t actually an ingredient of most of the types of Twizzlers. There is one exception though, and that is the black licorice flavor. You should really try to avoid this particular candy type.
Black licorice can cause a rise in the blood pressure of your pet due to a compound known as glycyrrhizin.
If you know for sure that your dog has eaten any type of licorice-flavored candy and especially black licorice Twizzlers, you should talk to your vet about this. Black licorice isn’t only dangerous to small pets. Humans over 40 years old should also avoid ingesting it.
How Much Twizzlers Can Dogs Eat?
There are no studies to point out the exact amount that would be harmful to dogs or humans for that matter. As long as you give your dog Twizzlers in very small amounts and only rarely, this shouldn’t have any effect on your dog’s health.
To make it even easier to understand, sugar will basically hurt the health of a pet in the same way as it does for humans, proportional to the weight of each creature. Dogs can easily have health issues like diabetes, dental problems, and even health-related problems. I say that the damage will be proportional to each creature’s size because due to their smaller size and weight, dogs are more vulnerable to the effects of the same amount of sugar than humans.
Even though having dogs myself, I totally understand how difficult can it be to resist puppy eyes, I do have to warn you that the health of your pet should be a lot more important than its immediate desires.
What you should get from this article is that you can give your dog the occasional Twizzlers piece. Just don’t overdo it.
Conclusion
Although this article was written in a very serious tone, if you will give your dog only a small piece of Twizzlers, regardless of its flavor, it shouldn’t be life-altering and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
What you should refrain from doing, however, is giving your dog this candy on a regular basis. Too much of it can lead to the same conditions that humans are predisposed to when ingesting too much sugar.
Out of all the Twizzlers brands, make sure you avoid giving your dog black licorice ones because those are really harmful.
The licorice plant that they contain has a compound toxic to dogs, which is called glycyrrhizin. This compound raises the blood pressure of your pooch.
FAQs
Do Twizzlers contain xylitol?
No, Twizzlers don’t have xylitol on their list of ingredients. Xylitol should be avoided completely because even in small amounts, it can become toxic for dogs. Just 0.5 grams per 1 kg of body weight will lead to liver failure, and even worse, just 01. grams of this substance per kg of the dog’s body weight will lead to hypoglycemia.
Can Twizzlers become lethal to my dog?
The occasional ingestion of Twizzlers by your dog won’t put its life in danger, but be careful not to make a habit of giving your dog this type of candy. Giving Twizzlers to your dog too frequently will put the pet at risk of developing dental problems, diabetes, weight-related problems, or worse.
What are Twizzlers made of?
Twizzlers contain the following ingredients:
- soy lecithin,
- Red 40,
- potassium sorbate,
- citric acid,
- glycerin,
- artificial flavor,
- salt,
- palm oil,
- cornstarch,
- sugar,
- wheat flour,
- corn syrup.
