Can Dogs Eat Jelly Beans? Skip Them, and the Chocolate Bunny

People ask us can dogs eat jelly beans every spring, usually while standing next to a basket that is already half empty. The answer is skip it. Jelly beans are candy made for people, and the sugar-free kind adds a reason of its own to keep them away.

This page is about the whole Easter basket, because the jelly beans rarely travel alone. The chocolate bunny, the marshmallow chicks, the foil and the plastic grass all sit in the same spot at dog height. We also cover what to do if the basket got raided, and what we put in a dog's basket instead.

Can dogs eat jelly beans, and what is in them

A jelly bean is sugar and corn syrup with coloring, wrapped in a hard candy shell. That is the whole story for a regular one. The shell is the same as on any other hard candy, so the beans get crunched, swallowed and gone before anyone can count.

One bean that rolled off the table is a small event. A handful from the bowl is a larger one. Either way, our answer in the kitchen is the same as it is at the show table: candy stays on the human side, and the dog gets something made for a dog.

Sugar-free jelly beans and the bag to read

Sugar-free candy is where the label matters. The ASPCA food list writes: "Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, including gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste." Jelly beans and gum often sit in the same basket, so one bag can hide it.

It goes on: "Xylitol can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and potentially liver damage depending on the amount ingested." Turn the bag over and read the ingredients before you decide anything. If you see xylitol, treat it as a raid and use the steps further down.

The chocolate bunny

Skip the bunny, hollow or solid, milk or dark. It is chocolate, and it usually comes wrapped in foil that a dog will swallow along with it.

The ASPCA, in its Easter advice, writes: "Chocolate can cause gastrointestinal upset, pancreatitis, stimulation to the nervous system (hyperactivity, tremors and seizures) and elevation in heart rate." That is the whole reason the bunny stays out of reach.

The ASPCA food list has a line on dark chocolate: "The darker (higher cacao percentage) the chocolate, or the higher the caffeine content, the greater the risk for toxicity."

The fancy dark egg counts too. It is no smaller a problem than the drugstore bunny.

Marshmallow chicks, foil and plastic grass

Marshmallow chicks are sugar too, in a softer form. Skip them for the same reason as the jelly beans. They stick to everything, including the wrapper they came in, so the wrapper often goes down with the chick.

Then there is the grass. Plastic strands line the basket, they look like something to chew, and they are easy to pull loose. The ASPCA writes: "This grass can become lodged in the gastrointestinal tract and wreak havoc if consumed." If you have a dog in the house, line the basket with paper or nothing at all.

If the basket got raided

It happens at nearly every house with a dog and a basket. Take the dog away from what is left, pick up the wrappers and any grass, and keep the bag or box. Then call your veterinarian or an animal poison control line, and have the bag in hand when you do. They will ask what it was, how much is gone and when it happened, so write those down while you wait.

If chocolate was part of it, our chocolate guide covers what to note and what to say on that call.

What goes in the dog's basket

Our basket for a dog is short and plain. We make single ingredient treats in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and three of them fit an Easter basket well. We put the full version of this list in the Easter basket guide, and the short version is below.

If you want something freeze-dried, Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese Dog Treats are the easy one. The only ingredient is cheddar cheese, in one 8 ounce bag. Freeze-drying makes the cheese crunchy and non-greasy rather than soft, and the pieces are small. It needs no refrigeration once dried, so it rides in a treat pouch or a car without a mess. It contains dairy, so it is not suited to dogs with dairy sensitivities.

The Freeze-Dried Beef Heart Dog Treats are a firm piece that snaps into small ones, milder than liver. The only ingredient is beef heart, and it comes in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounce bags. Reseal either bag after opening and keep it cool and dry.

Then there are Rabbit Ears Dog Chews. These are dried, not freeze-dried, and the only ingredient is rabbit ear, five to a pack. It is a light, crunchy whole-ear chew that most dogs finish in a few minutes. Break an ear in half first for a small dog, and take the last piece away once it is small enough to swallow whole. Because it is a whole ear, shape and size vary from one to the next.

The rest of the freeze-dried line is in the freeze-dried treats collection.

Questions

What if my dog ate one regular jelly bean?

One regular bean is a small amount of sugar and coloring. Check the bag for xylitol, and put the rest of the candy up high. If the bag lists xylitol or you cannot tell, follow the steps in the raid section above.

What about sugar-free jelly beans?

Read the ingredient list for xylitol. If it is there, the bag counts as a raid, and the call described above is the next step with the bag in your hand.

Can a dog have a hollow chocolate bunny?

Hollow or solid, it is still chocolate and it still comes in foil. Skip it, and keep the wrapper out of reach too.

Are marshmallow chicks any different?

They are sugar in a soft form. Skip them, and watch for the wrapper that tends to ride along.

Where should the basket sit until Easter Sunday?

Up high or behind a closed door. A basket on the floor is a basket a dog will find, and the plastic grass makes it a bigger project to clean up afterward.

What can I put in my dog's Easter basket instead?

Something single ingredient and plain: cheddar, beef heart or rabbit ears from the list above. Fill the basket with paper, hide it until the day, and let the dog have the same moment the kids get.