Interested in sharing your jelly or jam with your dog but feeling concerned about what it might mean for them? Here’s the vital information you need to know.
Dogs cannot safely eat jelly, especially jelly that comes from a processed source like a supermarket or unknown ingredients. The high sugar content is dangerous to dogs, and many jelly producers will add sweeteners to their jellys, which are toxic to dogs. Some fruits are toxic to dogs, too, that are harmless in humans. More on the details you need below!
Is jelly okay for dogs?
Jelly is never a good treat for dogs. There is absolutely no good in it for dogs as far as health benefits, and the sugar and/or sweetener can be highly damaging to their system, if not fatal. You should never intentionally feed jelly to dogs!
Will jelly make my dog sick?
Even assuming that the jelly you will give your dog has no toxic ingredients in it, jelly can make your dog very sick. This is especially so if you give your dog a fair amount of it (several spoonfuls) or they get into the container.
Can jelly kill my dog?
Never a fun question, but yes. Jelly can kill your dog, and it doesn’t take much to do it. This is part of why working with the correct information is so important.
Some fruits are toxic to dogs, we go into more detail below, so any amount of those fruits will put your dog’s health in grave danger.
The other detail is that many jars of jelly have sweetener and pectin. Both of these things, even in small doses, can be dangerous for dogs.
Toxic jelly ingredients for dogs
There are several details in jelly that make it dangerous or even poisonous for dogs. The main ones to watch for include:
- Sweeteners
- Excessive sugar
- Grapes
- Artificial flavors
- Pectin
- Caffeine
Sweeteners
Sweeteners are added to jelly rather than sugar to help cut the sugar content for humans. Humans don’t have a problem with them, but they can kill dogs even in small amounts. Xylitol is one of the worst offenders but is becoming increasingly popular in a lot of foods.
Excessive sugar
The sugar content is also high enough that blending the added sugar with the natural sugars could create a situation where your dog’s system simply shuts down, requiring immediate attention from your vet. In this case, your dog would have eaten a lot of the jar of jelly.
Grapes
Grape jelly is the absolute worst choice to give your dog. Grapes are poisonous to dogs, and a single grape can be enough to kill a dog. So, imagine what a few licks of jelly would do. If you remember one thing from this when it comes to sharing your jelly with your dog, it’s that grape jelly is deadly to dogs and should be avoided at all costs, even if it’s “just a little bit.”
Artificial flavors
Many jelly options will have artificial flavors added to add more depth to the chosen jelly flavor. However, many dogs will end up being allergic to the artificial flavors, so this can further cause a problem for digestion and an allergic reaction.
Pectin
This is added to jelly as a preservative and a substance to give it a thicker definition. This can be dangerous to dogs in larger servings. It can lead to fluid build-up and breathing difficulties. While it’s unlikely that your dog would eat enough to cause this, it is something to be aware of since many commercial and personal producers use “generous” amounts of pectin.
Caffeine
That’s right; there’s caffeine in jelly! From the fruit itself and added in as the extra sugar would be, caffeine can be dangerous to dogs. Not only will it amp up that sugar high, but it can also cause shock in their system. Think of it like caffeine poisoning. Since dogs are more sensitive to caffeine than humans, this can cause a problem quickly.
What happens if a dog eats jelly?
If your dog eats jelly, you’ll definitely be dealing with a severe case of digestion issues. The sugar will create some serious diarrhea and also some vomiting. Your dog will be jittery and unsettled as the sugar courses through their veins.
Depending on how much your dog ate, this could be all. This would be considered “lucky” in most situations! If your dog ate a significant amount of jelly, however, you might be dealing with an onset of more severe issues for their health. In this case, we’d call it symptoms of jelly poisoning.
If you feed your dog jelly regularly, even in small portions, this could lead to chronic health concerns, too.
Symptoms to watch when a dog eats jelly
Be it poisoning from the jelly itself or chronic health concerns, some of the symptoms to watch for include (in order of least worrisome, to most worrisome):
- Zoomies
- Vomiting/diarrhea
- Dental problems
- Obesity
- Diabetes onset
The first two points would be mostly short-term. These result from excessive sugar, and your dog will have to run frantically around on a sugar high until the inevitable crash happens. The vomiting could be partnered with diarrhea, or they might just have one or the other. It will depend based on the dog’s stomach sensitivity.
Dental problems and obesity are more concerns if your dog is eating jelly long-term. Since it isn’t a good health choice, this leads to a weight problem and almost certain dental issues, including gingivitis and teeth extractions.
Diabetes is much more common in dogs than most will want to believe. While it happens more in senior dogs, it can be a serious health concern sooner rather than later in those dogs that eat jelly regularly since its sugar content is so high. Natural sugar is still sugar, after all.
Are there safe jelly flavors for dogs?
So, it’s okay if this is making you feel a little overwhelmed when you’re looking at the idea of giving jelly to your dog. You might be wondering if there are any safe flavors at all that you can give your dog! In short, no. Jelly is never going to be a good snack for your dog. But let’s go through them one by one in jelly FAQ:
Can dogs eat sugar-free jelly?
No, dogs should never eat sugar-free jelly since it often has sweeteners to replace it. These are toxic to your dog.
Can dogs eat strawberry jelly?
Strawberries as whole fruits are safe for dogs, but the sugar content in strawberry jelly is dangerous for dogs.
Can dogs have cherry jelly?
Cherries are very sweet naturally, so you shouldn’t feed cherries or cherry jelly to dogs. Plus, their pits are often dangerous.
Can dogs eat grape jelly?
No, dogs can’t ever eat grape jelly. Grapes are poisonous to dogs, and jelly is often concentrated, making it even more dangerous.
Can dogs eat raspberry jelly?
Dogs can benefit from raspberries in their whole form, much like strawberries. But raspberry jelly is so sugary that it’s not a safe snack for them.
Can dogs eat peanut butter and jelly?
Dogs can eat peanut butter so that it doesn’t have any sweetener in it. But they can’t safely eat peanut butter, and jelly sandwiches since even that amount of jelly content is enough to harm them seriously.
When to contact the vet
If you notice any of the following symptoms in your dog, you will want to contact your vet immediately. These are all signs or symptoms that the jelly is causing a severe reaction. It could be a sugar or caffeine overdose or poisoning from something like a sweetener that you didn’t know was in there. These include:
- Lethargy/tremors
- Tachycardia (racing heartbeat)
- Seizures
- Abnormal heart rate
The more symptoms you notice, especially if those are blended with the symptoms listed above, the more concerned you should be. Call your vet and bring your dog in for medical attention as soon as possible!
TLDR
Jelly has a high sugar content for humans, and this is heightened in dogs. Many jellys also have sweetener, which is often toxic to dogs even in small amounts. Some fruits, which are harmless to humans, are poisonous to dogs. Know the symptoms so that you can seek medical attention if you need it.
Jelly will never be a good snack for dogs because of just how dangerous it can be, with no potential upside. Know someone prone to letting their dog have some jam “as a treat”? Share this with them to help keep everyone safe!
