Altoids, a brand selling mints founded by Smith & Company in the late 18th century, has become quite popular with a growing number of sales. But have you ever wondered if this is something your dog can enjoy too? This is the right place to dive in and find the answer to this question.
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Can Dogs Eat Altoids?
The exact answer is no. Your dog cannot consume Altoids because its ingredients, such as sugar, artificial flavoring, and Xylitol, can be life-threatening for your dog. Apart from this, your furry companion doesn’t require a mouth-freshener, so feeding Altoids has no benefits whatsoever.
What Ingredients Does It Contain?
Altoids contain various ingredients such as sugar, artificial coloring, corn syrup, and other artificial flavoring substances, such as spearmint and peppermint oil. Usually, the exact mixing process and method or preparation are kept undisclosed, but the steps more or less remain similar. The factories start by mixing sugar with mint oil and gelatin, and then the coloring is added. Finally, the whole mixture is laid into a sheet and cut into pills.
How Do These Affect Your Dog?
The ingredients added to the making of Altoids can be incredibly toxic to a dog’s health, but how?
1. Sugar – Having sugar in your dog’s diet is not advisable. It can lead to obesity and tooth pain and even become addictive in the long term. Diabetes is also something to look out for when considering the sugar amounts in Altoids.
2. Corn Syrup – Like sugar, corn syrup – a sweetness-adding element- can be highly addictive and cause an imbalance in blood-sugar levels alongside related risks of diabetes and obesity.
3. Mint Oil – Mint is known to be toxic to our furry friends, and mint oils add just that to the Altoids. The flavor is obtained from peppermint and spearmint oils. It can irritate the mouth of your dog and lead to mint poisoning.
4. Xylitol – It’s a substitute substance for sugar and is fatal for dogs. So, avoid Xylitol for dogs in all cases.
Is Altoids Bad for Your Dog?
Altoids are considered bad for dogs. And more so because of their contents like sugar and Xylitol. Xylitol is deadly for dogs, while sugar has become a leading cause of diabetes, growing weight, and even tooth decay in dogs. Altoids are also known for skin irritation, diarrhea, lethargy, upset stomach, dehydration, improper blood sugar balance, and also stomach inflammation.
But what about the different flavors of Altoids? All the flavors have the same base elements, especially the high sugar levels that are just as addictive substances to your dogs. So the next time you catch someone asking, ‘Can my dog eat peppermint Altoids’ or ‘Can my dog eat wintergreen Altoids,’ you can confidently deny them with the caution of Altoid poisoning in mind.
What Is The Remedy For Altoid Poisoning?
If your dog has eaten Altoids in a larger amount, the first thing you should look for is your phone to dial up your vet. Or reach out to a medical health facility to get your furry friend checked up and even put under appropriate diagnosis. It is wise to carry the pack or at least the packaging of the Altoid, so your veterinarian can know about the components.
Don’t panic if your dog vomits or behaves differently than usual since it is its body’s defense system trying to bring out the toxins. But at the same time, try not to delay in getting medical help.
What are the Symptoms to Look for in Altoid Poisoning?
Here are some of the Altoid Poisoning symptoms that you should look for if it has consumed Altoid in excess:
1. Diarrhea – Since dehydration is one of the effects of Altoids indigestion and diarrhea, try giving lots of water to ease them.
2. Vomiting – Puking out the contents is a natural way to expel any foreign and unwanted components from the body; this can cause a lot of exhaustion.
3. Lethargy – Tiredness and fatigue are natural signs of any illness.
Can Dogs Eat Mint Altoids?
Altoids are not recommended for dogs, mainly because of the elements such as mint. Mint is known to cause considerable harm to your dog’s body and health, such as diarrhea, vomiting, skin irritation, and even mint poisoning. Hence to answer the question ‘can your dogs eat mint Altoids,’ the simple answer would be no.
Additionally, if your dog gets mint poisoning, seek medical attention quickly.
Can Dogs Eat Wintergreen Altoids?
The brand Altoids has different flavors introduced up till this year of 2022, which include wintergreen Altoids too. These are produced from other plants than the original mint to give you a nearby flavor and smell of mint. However, wintergreen Altoids contain sugar and corn syrup to add to the sweetness. Therefore, it can turn out to cause severe illnesses in your pet. Obesity and diabetes are two of the most common outcomes expected of wintergreen Altoids’ ingestion in dogs. Hence, reasonably enough, the answer is no.
Similar to mint Altoids, this variation is also not recommended for dogs in any case. Peppermint Altoids can lead to mint poisoning and diarrhea, an instinctive reaction of your dog’s natural system protecting its insides from an alien substance.
Can Dogs Eat Peppermint Altoids?
Peppermint Altoids have higher amounts of mint oil to give them a freshening odor and taste for their consumers. However, with the mint oil in and the sugar levels taken into account, we can never recommend it for dogs. Mint oil can give rise to health issues among your furry little ones and lead to mint poisoning cases. Although this is treatable, peppermint Altoids should never be on their list of meals.
Conclusion
Altoids can be an excellent handy product for any human but not so much for dogs. Therefore, don’t feed Altoids to your dogs.
- Altoids contain sugar, Xylitol, and added flavors – all of which are toxic to your dog’s health.
- Xylitol is found to be deadly for dogs, while sugar can prove to be addictive.
- Altoids and all flavors–peppermint, wintergreen–should be avoided.
- In case of Altoid poisoning, contact your vet ASAP.
Frequently asked Questions
Can my dog eat breath mints?
Breath mints contain artificial sweetener (Xylitol) that can be toxic for dogs. So, ensure not to feed your dog breath mints to avoid consequences.
Is there Xylitol in Altoids?
Not every Altoid contains Xylitol, a poisonous sugar alternative for dogs. So you don’t need to worry if your furry friend eats a couple of non-xylitol Altoids. However, if your dog has consumed a bunch of mints, be alert and look for symptoms of Altoids poisoning.
How much peppermint is toxic to dogs?
Your dog can consume 1-2 peppermint leaves or dried mint daily without harm. However, some dogs can feel sick and experience diarrhea and vomiting. Contact your vet immediately if your dog has consumed mint leaves in excess.
