Can Dogs Eat Altoids

In simple terms, Altoids are one of the brands of mint candies which were originally made in England but became popular in America during the 20th century and are now being locally produced by Mars in America. Altoids have strong peppermint flavor and have been used over the years to freshen breaths.

Altoids, like most other mints, are made through similar processes:

First, you mash up and mix gelatin, mint oil, sugar and a binding agent all together in a mixer, adding the preferred colors for the mint into the mixer as the mixing is going on. Once this is done, you press the pasty mixture into a sheet and send it to be cut into smaller shapes. When these pills get dry, they are then packaged into their trademark tins.

That being said, let’s go into the question of the day: Can dogs eat altoids? In this article, we will be discussing about Altoids, how safe they are for doggy consumption and healthy alternatives to Altoids. Read on!

Can Dogs Eat Altoids?

Altoids are not a healthy mint option for your dog and so they should not be given any at all. As a matter of fact, Altoids do not work for dogs i.e. they do not freshen up dogs’ breaths.

Altoids might be safe for human consumption and even be a great breath freshener for us but it is not the same for dogs. Basically, Altoids contain ingredients and artificial seasonings that are not safe for your dog to consume.

Altoids are packed with gelatin, gum Arabic (a binding agent to solidify the mint), corn syrup and sugar that are substituted for sucralose and sorbitol in sugar-free Altoids, artificial coloring and flavors like peppermint oil.

You would agree with me that all of these ingredients are toxic and unsafe for your dog to consume. Altoids are non sugar-free mints that can result in weight gain if your dog eats it, due to its high sugar content.

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Toxic Ingredients Contained In Altoids

Most human foods, no matter their toxicity to dogs, usually have a few health benefits. This is not the case with Altoids. The predominant ingredients used in making this mind are terribly toxic to dogs. Let’s discuss them in details.

Mint oil

Mint is very unsafe and toxic to dogs! Mint extracts, spearmint or peppermint oil are one of the major ingredients contained in Altoids as that’s where they get their strong minty flavors from.

Due to their toxicity to dogs, feeding your dog with peppermint oil or mint extracts can cause mint poisoning, skin irritation, lethargy, diarrhea, indigestion and vomiting.

Sugar And Corn Syrup

Altoids contain very high sugar content and if you must know, sugar provides your dog with little or no nutritional benefits so feeding your dog with sugary food is not necessary. As a matter of fact, it is rather one of the biggest causes of severe health issues in dogs.

Facts reveal that sugar is a very addictive substance and once you begin to feed your dog any sugary food, he is more than likely to start craving those kind of foods to the point of even rejecting foods or treats that are not as sugary as he would like. Corn syrup on the other hand is a more addictive, artificial sweetener than sugar.

Feeding your dog Altoids containing sugar and corn syrup can result in loss of appetite, hormonal imbalance, tooth decay, soreness and inflammation of the stomach, diabetes, among other conditions. Older dogs that are suffering from obesity or diabetes should not even be given any Altoids at all.

Artificial Coloring And Flavoring

These artificial colors and flavors are safe for we humans but the actual products or ingredients used as additives in Altoids are not known so we cannot say emphatically that they are safe or unsafe for your dog’s consumption.

Sucralose And Sorbitol

As we earlier established, Altoids are non sugar-free mints; there are really no sugar-free Altoids. Sucralos and Sorbitol are artificial sweeteners used as substitutes for sugar and corn syrup in sugar-free Altoids, which does not change or reduce the excessive sweetness in the Altoids.

In small quantities, Sucralose and Sorbitol do not cause any harm to dogs as they are not toxic in themselves but when consumed in large quantities, they can cause diarrhea, gassiness and bowel irritation.

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Some Dog-friendly Mints

While you have been advised to keep mints away from your dog and keep your dog away from mints at the same time, there are some mints that are made for dogs in particular and do not pose the threats that the human mints can cause for dogs.

Dog breath dental mints are chewy treats made with baking soda and breath-freshening ingredients like spearmints. These mints help keep your dog’s teeth clean, gets rid of food debris and eliminates bad breath. A good example of these dog breath dental mint is Arm & Hammer Dental Advanced Care Fresh Breath And Whitening Mints For Dogs.

Some other examples include:

• Health Extension Fresh Breath Mint-Flavored Dental Dog Treats
• Bocce’s Bakery Daily Support Breath Aid
• Dental Fresh Advanced Plaque & Tartar Water Additive For Dogs
• Claudia’s Canine Bakery Pawpermints
• Bluestem Oral Care Pet Water Additive Breath Freshener

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Happens If My Dog Eats A Mint?

Mints for humans may be safe and a soothing remedy for nausea but it is not the same for dogs. On the contrary, peppermints are very harmful for dogs in more ways than one. First, the wrappers of these mints can pose as a danger to your dog if he gets to consume them without your knowledge.

Asides the dangers of the mint wrappers, the mints themselves can trigger reactions like diarrhea and vomiting from your dog after eating it. It is safer to keep mints far away from the reach of your dogs.

Conclusion

Dogs have very sensitive systems that are not built to process most of these human foods and spices. For this reason, it is important to observe caution when deciding on what human food to feed your dog.

Pay close attention to the ingredients labeled on the food pack to be sure that the food does not contain any ingredient that is toxic to your dog before feeding him the food. This would save you from having to worry about any health issues that may arise from feeding your dog these toxic food ingredients.

Instead of giving your dog Altoids, you can feed him some pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds to give him that crunchy feeling.