Can Dogs Eat Sprinkles? Know Before You Feed Your Dog

Sprinkles are popular celebratory sweets mainly due to their colorful nature. They are tasty as well as decorative.

As a pet parent, you might want to include some Sprinkles on your dog’s birthday or even just feed him occasionally as treats. So, is it safe?

This article clarifies if dogs can eat sprinkles. We also endow additional information relating to the treatment and its ingredients. Let’s dig in.

What Are Sprinkles?

Sprinkles are a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, and wax. They also consist of other artificial colorings and flavorings. Many of these ingredients do not sound healthy to feed to your pup. A 100-gram serving of sprinkles can contain up to 75 grams of Carbohydrates.

Can Dogs Eat Sprinkles?

Yes, dogs can definitely eat sprinkles. If you are hosting a birthday party or giving your pup a one-time treat, it is safe to do so. Even if you are giving it occasionally, say three times a week, a small serving of about 4 grams won’t do any harm.

Quality Dog Resources also thinks that most sprinkles are safe inappropriate size servings. However, you must note that they are not healthy.

The primary ingredient in sprinkles is sugar. That is what makes them so tasty and sweet. Sugar is bad for your pup because it can induce many health complexities like diabetes and tooth decay.

Furthermore, it can also disturb the metabolism of your dog. If your pup has a sensitive tummy, a moderate amount of sugar can cause diarrhea.

Another ingredient in sprinkles is corn syrup. All syrups have a high sugar concentration and are thus harmful to your dog in excess servings. There is also cornstarch which can cause digestive problems for your pup.

Moreover, the presence of artificial coloring and flavoring is the most troublesome one. As a rule of thumb, anything artificial poses a certain threat to your dog’s health when served in large amounts.

Some sprinkles have red-40 written in the ingredient for artificial color. You should know that this chemical is derived from petroleum, which is definitely not safe for dogs or humans.

Thus, sprinkles are bad for your dog’s health. However, a small serving should not matter much unless it has an artificial sweetener like xylitol.

Are Chocolate Sprinkles Safe for Dogs?

You should keep your dog away from anything related to chocolate. Generally, chocolate consists of caffeine and theobromine, both of which are harmful to dogs.

The metabolism of dogs isn’t as strong as humans, and thus they cannot metabolize these compounds efficiently like us. This leads to a spike in their stimulus and can cause restlessness.

Chocolates can also be toxic to dogs in large quantities. Your dog might show signs of vomiting and diarrhea if it stole and ate your whole packet of chocolate.

Are Rainbow Sprinkles Safe for Dogs?

Rainbow means colorful. Dogs are curious animals, and thus this mixture of colors will attract them. If you fail to lock the rainbow sprinkles safely in a locker, the chances are that your dog will invade and bite through the container. By the time you are home, it might be facing some severe stomach problems if it ate a lot of rainbow sprinkles.

Rainbow sprinkles are safe, but only when served in sizes less than 4 grams. If your dog consumes more than 10 grams of these sweets, it may face some tummy issues. If the symptoms are severe, you might consider talking to a vet.

Can Dogs Eat Sugar-Free Sprinkles?

It depends on the type of sweetener used to make the sprinkles sugar-free. Xylitol is one of the chemicals that factories use as sugar alternatives. Basically, xylitol is poisonous to dogs.

Even in small amounts, this chemical can be life-threatening and requires immediate attention if your dog eats some. So, sugar-free sprinkles with xylitol as a sugar alternative should be avoided at all costs.

If the sugar alternative is more plant and natural-based, like honey and stevia, it is safe to treat your dog. Honey is not only tasty but also beneficial for your dog’s health. Stevia is a natural alternative to sugar which isn’t toxic. Thus, you can feed your dog some sugar-free sprinkles if it has natural colorings and sweeteners.

What if Your Dog Ate Sprinkles?

The first thing you should be concerned about is the quantity. If your dog ate less than grams, you could let it be and keep it out of reach to prevent future invasions. However, please monitor your dog closely if the consumed quantity is large (10 grams and above).

In most cases, the dog will experience mild stomach pain and possibly diarrhea. If the dog is too sensitive and the symptoms are severe, you should see medical help immediately.

Summary Table

Items	Safe or not?
Sprinkles	Yes. But only in small proportions and on occasions.
Chocolate sprinkles	Not safe.
Sugar-free sprinkles with Xylitol	Poisonous.
Sugar-free with natural sweeteners	Safe.
4-gram servings of regular sprinkles	Safe.
More than 10-gram servings	Not safe.

We assume you got enough insights on whether dogs can have Sprinkles or not from this article in order to keep your dog safe.