Can Dogs Eat Mentos? (Solved & Explained!)

So, it’s just you, your dog, and some delicious fruit Mentos. You’re getting that look from your furry best friend and wondering if it’s okay to share. Can dogs eat Mentos or are the unsafe?

If your dog managed to eat one or more of your Mentos, as long as they are not the sugar-free variety then they might get a tummy ache for their troubles but the candy should not be any more dangerous than this. The sugar-free variety, however, is potentially lethal for your dog and is definitely off-limits.

Today we’re going to explore the subject in a little more detail so that you can have the facts that you need at your disposal. We’ll go over ingredients, why sugar-free are so bad for dogs, and symptoms to look for if you think your dog ate one. Let’s talk about Mentos and what you need to know!

What will happen if my dog eats Mentos?

If your dog ate some standard fruit mentos (not the sugar-free variety, which we’ll get into later), then they will probably be fine, although a stomach ache is a real possibility. Fruit mentos have (but are not limited to) the following ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• Sugar
• Glucose syrup
• Licorice extract
• Artificial flavoring
• Glazing agents

If your dog at a whole package, it’s also a lot of calories, with each Mento being about 10 calories and 14 in a package. Carb-wise, they are pretty bad for your dog, as that package has about 93 grams of carbs in each, right along with 69 grams of sugar.

So, while they aren’t exactly poisonous for your dog, they aren’t good either and likely a recipe for a prolonged bellyache if your dog gets into them. The real danger with Mentos come with the sugar free varieties, so let’s focus on that next.

What about sugar-free Mentos products?

Sugar-free Mentos products are available and the problem with these is that the sweetener which is used in one called Xylitol. This artificial sweetener isn’t just limited to Mentos – you can find it in some peanut butters and a wide range of candies – and it’s something that you will want to start looking out for.

Xylitol is not harmful for humans and tastes pretty yummy to us, so it’s naturally in a lot of products, but for dogs and cats the stuff can be deadly. That’s because when your dog eats sugar-free Mentos candies or gums they don’t process Xylitol the same.

What happens is that they’ll digest the chemical, it gets in their bloodstream, and then does something nasty – it can cause your dog’s body to start releasing insulin into their pancreas. As a result, your dog can end up with an instant case of low blood sugar, which can cause things like fainting, seizures, or worse.

It can also damage the liver if ingested in sufficient amounts, to make things worse. Xylitol toxicity generally starts quickly, within 10 to 60 minutes of ingesting the food item with this chemical, so this is definitely an artificial sweetener that you need to watch out for – your vigilance in this matter could save your dog’s life.

How much xylitol is toxic to dogs?

Now that you’re aware of the effects of the sweetener, how much does it really take to become dangerous for your dog? Not much, as it turns out. Just .05 grams of Xylitol per pound of a dog’s body weight is considered to be highly toxic for dogs.

What we need to consider next is how much Xylitol sweetener you can expect to be in a piece of sugar-free Mentos candies, mints, and gums. With mints, you can expect a range anywhere from .22 – 1 gram of this sweetener in just one piece of candy. Alarming news, as this means your dog could get sick from eating ONE.

If your dog has gotten into sugar-free Mentos candies then you will need to get them to the vet right away. Without treatment, there is a possibility if your dog has eaten enough that they can develop hypoglycemia in record time, so it is vital that you get your vet involved as soon as you can.

If you are stuck without that possibility for some reason, don’t panic – call the ASPCA poison help line at 888-426-445. This number is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they are there on all holidays.  Xylitol is seriously toxic, folks, so if your dog gets into sugar-free Mentos then action needs to be taken NOW.

What are the symptoms of Xylitol toxicity?

The symptoms of Xylitol toxicity typically develop fast, but not always, so you could see them anywhere from 10 – 30 minutes after ingestion up to as much as 12 hours later and liver damage may occur within 12 to 24 hours of ingestion. Symptoms of Xylitol toxicity may include the following:

• Collapse
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Trembling
• Seizures

These are all serious symptoms, but even if you don’t see any right away, if you even remotely suspect that your dog has eaten one or more sugar-free Mentos candies then it’s best to get them to the vet right away. Waiting on this could result in liver damage, as this can certainly progress before outward symptoms show.

When in doubt, it’s always best to err on the side of safety and as this artificial sweetener is so dangerous for dogs, you might even want to research in advance for alternative sweeteners that are safer around so that you won’t have to hide your candy or worry.  

Some final words on dogs and Mentos

While the standard, fruity, and fully-sugared variety of Mentos shouldn’t hurt your dog beyond a stomachache, the sugar-free variety are actually very dangerous for your dog. This is due to an artificial sweetener called Xylitol that humans can eat with no issues, but which can cause hypoglycemia in dogs.

If you suspect that your dog has eaten a sugar-free Mento then be sure to get your vet involved right away – waiting can lead to liver damage or worse – but if it’s a fruit Mento then things are going to be okay. You’ll just have to hide them better in the future!