Can Dogs Eat Fruit Snacks? (Incl. Welch’s Fruit Snacks)

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Dogs Eat Fruit Snacks? (Incl. Welch’s Fruit Snacks)“.

Last Saturday my 6-year-old nephew visited me and saw my candy jar full of his favorite Fruit snacks. Taking one out he ripped it open with delight. My two dogs enjoy playing with him. They sniffed at the treats in his hands seated by his side. Unbeknownst to me my nephew shared his Fruit snacks with my two dogs. My concern about the safety of Fruit snacks for doggy consumption led me to write this article.

Can dogs eat Fruit snacks?

Fruit snacks are not good for dogs since they contain a lot of sugar and are high in calories. Its not a healthy snack nor a fruit despite the name. Dogs can be fed in moderation if you must but we recommend that you do not feed this sugary candy to them.  

My nephew told me that it was very nice of him but just like Vanilla Wafers Fruit snacks are very high in sugar so giving them to dogs is not safe or healthy. The nephew politely nodded and said he promised not to give any more Fruit snacks to our dogs.

What are fruit snacks?

Sweet chewy gummy candies shaped like little fruits are called fruit snacks. Many companies and manufacturers market it as a snack food for parents with young children. 

At least three colors will be present: red orange and purple gummy fruits. Manufacturers of gummy candies use synthetic color dyes to make them more interesting and appealing to children. 

Your kids are probably sharing Fruit snacks with their dog nearby if they are snacking on Fruit snacks. Your children may not think twice about sharing these Fruit snacks with your furry family member unlike adult dog owners. 

What are Fruit snacks made out of?

Sugar is the main ingredient in Fruit snacks. Usually the sugar comes from concentrated grape juice which is refined sugar. In general dogs should avoid grapes since grapes are toxic to them and can lead to kidney failure. 

Sugar alone accounts for more than half of the weight of Fruit snacks. 

The nutritional profile of some Fruit snacks is similar to many other gummy candies despite their marketing as healthier than others. 

Furthermore these Fruit snacks do not offer much nutritional value or even protein. Fruit snacks contain nothing but sugar fats water and starch. 

Lets do a bit of digging and see what specific ingredients typically make up Fruit snacks. 

Ingredients in Fruit snacks

One of the well-known fruit snacks contains the following ingredients: 

Welch’s Fruit Snacks

• Fruit puree (grapes peaches oranges strawberries and raspberries)
• Corn syrup
• Sugar
• Modified corn starch
• Gelatin
• Concord grape juice from concentrate
• Citric acid
• Lactic acid
• Natural and artificial flavors
• Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• Alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E)
• Vitamin A palmitate
• Sodium citrate
• Coconut oil
• Carnauba wax
• Annatto (color)
• Turmeric (color)
• Red 40
• Blue 1

Here are the ingredients in those fruit snacks compared to those in a typical gummy bear snack:

Haribo Gummi Candy

• Glucose syrup (from wheat or corn)
• Sugar
• Gelatin
• Dextrose (from wheat or corn)
• Contains less than 2% of: 
  • Citric acid
  • Artificial and natural flavors
  • Palm oil
  • Palm kernel oil
  • Carnauba wax
  • White beeswax (as a stiffener)
  • Yellow beeswax (for stiffening)
  • Yellow 5
  • Red 40
  • Blue 1
• May contain: wheat and traces of milk.

You can see that Welchs Fruit snacks are basically gummy bears with lots of fruit puree and juice from concentrate. Sugar corn syrup or glucose syrup artificial flavors preservatives and synthetic dyes are all found in these candies. 

Lets look at the ingredients so you’re aware of what you may have fed your pooch. 

Fruit puree (Safe in moderation)

Pureed fruit is the only healthy component of this fruit snack that is safe for dogs. In contrast since Fruit snacks are mixed with other harmful and toxic ingredients they are no longer healthy or safe for our pets. 

There are natural fruit purees you can make at home which will be far healthier for your dog especially if your pooch loves fruits. You can satisfy your dogs fruit craving with natural homemade fruit purees instead of sugary gummy candies that look like fruit. 

Corn syrup and Glucose syrup (Harmful)

Corn syrup is made from corn whereas glucose syrup can be made from potatoes and wheat. These two syrups are simply sugar. Fruit snacks are unsuitable for dogs because of these sugary ingredients.

Because corn syrup has a high sugar content Fruit snacks are unhealthy for dogs (even as treats). Fruit snacks may look small but they’re loaded with corn syrup and added sugar that your canine friends do not need. 

You may also be tempted to give your pooch Fruit snacks anyway since they are small but consistently feeding your dog sugary snacks can have negative consequences including putting your pooch at risk for: 

• Diabetes.
• Weight gain.
• Obesity.

Sugar (Harmful in large amounts)

Sugar is a major component of fruit snacks. A single pouch contains 11 grams of sugar making this gummy candy dangerous for our pets. Adding sugar to our dogs food is harmful to his health (as opposed to natural sugar like fruits). 

A canines digestive system can be adversely affected by excessive sugar consumption because it interferes with the balance of bacteria that are needed for proper digestion. Resulting diarrhea or vomiting may occur. 

Overeating sugar can lead to the following symptoms:  

• Tooth decay and cavities are dental issues.
• Weight gain is another issue.
• Obesity.
• Type 2 diabetes for example.
• Hormonal imbalances. 

Sugar affects dogs’ bodies and health when they consume too much of it in food or candy. What happens to their bodies is as follows: 

• Inflammation throughout the body.
• Dermatitis.
• Arthritis.
• Pancreatitis.
• Dental disease.
• Lethargy.

Keep your canine companions away from Fruit snacks. 

Sugar and fat are also abundant in whipped cream. Sugar substitutes such as corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup are often used in whipped cream to make it very sweet and tasty. Keep your Whipped cream away from your furry friends if it contains these ingredients.

Gelatin (Safe on its own)

Its safe for dogs to consume gelatin since it contains protein but when its mixed with tons of other harmful ingredients then it is no longer safe for dogs to consume. For this reason you should not give your pooch Fruit snacks.

The citric acid (Harmful)

Neither the taste buds nor the stomach of the dog is fond of citrus acid. Foods containing large quantities of citric acid can upset dogs’ stomachs and even affect their nervous systems. 

Artificial flavors (Harmful)

Our canine friends should be kept away from artificial flavors. Artificial flavors are not the same as natural ones. Flavor additives are ingredients prepared by flavor chemists or flavors to mimic the taste of natural flavors and ingredients. 

In spite of the fact that artificial flavors are used to enhance the taste appearance and smell of food they are actually extremely dangerous for dogs. A number of artificial flavors are made by combining chemicals made from petroleum-based ingredients. The information above is enough to scare me and prevent me from giving my dog Fruit snacks.

Sodium citrate

In canine medications sodium citrate is usually an ingredient. As a lubricant or as a fecal softener it is used. Additionally it is used to help dogs breathe when under anesthesia. Only a small amount is needed. Considering this information alone it is not an ingredient I would want my furry friend to consume. 

Carnauba wax (Safe in small amounts)

Even though carnauba wax is not entirely toxic to dogs too much of it can pose problems. The best carnauba wax for dog consumption is organic.

Reeses Pieces are another candy that contains carnauba wax artificial flavors and artificial colors. You may want to think twice before giving your furry friends this treat.

Annatto (color) and Turmeric (color)

The vegetable dye anatto can be used as a substitute for artificial orange dyes. In addition to coloring cheese balls yellow it can also cause seizures in dogs. 

All color dyes whether they are annatto or turmeric are not safe for dogs. Avoid giving your pups Fruit snacks for the same reason. 

Red 40 (Harmful and dangerous) 

Red 40 is a food coloring that adds the color red to the food. Many pet foods contain this coloring. Due to its bad reputation Red 40 is well known. The petroleum and bugs in this artificial food coloring contain tons of cancer-causing contaminants.  

Cancer has been linked to it in humans along with a number of behavioral issues. Children with Red 40 have been linked to hyperactivity hypersensitivity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The immune system of mice has also been shown to be affected by Red 40 increasing the rate and appearance of tumors. 

It is easy to imagine how this could happen to humans and mice when we feed them food containing artificial dyes. Dog food does not need to contain Red 40. With that said you should avoid feeding your furry friends food with coloring additives. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization recommend consuming 3.2 mg of Red 40 per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis. In other words any dog weighing 70 pounds can safely consume 224 mg of Red 40.

Although we still recommend that you do not feed your pooch any food that contains Red 40 including Fruit snacks. 

Blue 1 (Harmful)

An artificial food dye called Blue 1 is also available. Processed foods are tinted blue with this synthetic dye. Unfortunately Blue 1 is derived from coal tar. Although it is approved by both the   European Food Safety Authority and the Food and Drug Administration it can cause allergic reactions in humans.  

Animal studies have suggested that Blue 1 causes cancer. Additionally it does not provide any nutritional benefits and is more harmful than helpful. Due to its ability to cross the blood vein barrier in your brain Blue 1 can cause your brain to turn blue. Studies in mice have shown that it affects reproduction as well as cancer cells. 

Fruit snacks should not be fed to your pooch since Blue 1 is unfit for human consumption.  

While your dog may love the crunchy factor of the Fortune Cookies there are many ingredients that may not be safe for him such as sugar vanilla extract salt and flour.

Are Fruit snacks bad for dogs?

Fruit snacks are bad for dogs if they contain the ingredients listed above. You should not give them Fruit snacks if you are a responsible pet owner. Sugar can be harmful to your dog. 

In addition to the excessive amount of sugar found in Fruit snacks this sugary candy is also high in calories. As an example lets take Welchs Fruit Snacks. 

Nutritional Profile of Welch’s Fruit Snacks (1 pouch or 26g)

Name Unit	Amount
Calories cal	80
Total Carbohydrate g	20
Total Sugars g	11
Sodium mg	10

A dog should only consume about 25 calories a day per pound of body weight when it comes to daily food intake. In the case of a small and a medium dog this means that: 

• A 10-pound Chihuahua dog should consume no more than 250 calories daily.
• Labrador dogs weighing 70 pounds should consume no more than 1750 calories each day.

The Chihuahua that eats a pouch or 26g of Fruit snacks will receive 80 calories of her daily 250 calories from these snacks alone. There are no nutrients in these 80 calories a small amount of fat and a lot of sugar. 

Despite the fact that Welchs Fruit snacks contain vitamins A and C your dog can easily obtain these vitamins from his or her regular dog food or other healthier alternatives. 

Can dogs eat gummy Fruit snacks?

Gummy Fruit snacks are not suitable for dogs. Gummy Fruit snacks are basically gummy bears. Manufacturers often market gummy Fruit snacks as healthy snacks by adding concentrated grape juice or fruit puree to convince parents that these Fruit snacks are good for their children. 

Fruit snacks are really gummy candies and they are often loaded with sugar and calories. They also provide no nutritional benefit. 

Despite the fact that Welchs Fruit snacks contain Vitamin A and C they are derived from ascorbic acid and tocopheryl acetate. Regular dog food or healthy dog treats are the best sources of vitamins and minerals for your furry friends. 

Can dogs eat Welch’s Fruit Snacks?

Welchs Fruit Snacks should not be eaten by dogs. They are unhealthy and contain a lot of sugar fat and concentrated juice. In addition to being high in calories fruit snacks offer little to no nutritional value to your pup. 

Can dogs eat Motts Fruit Snacks?

Motts Fruit Snacks should not be fed to dogs. Taking a look at the ingredients we can see that this Fruit Snack is loaded with sugar. Fruit Snacks contain a lot of sugar which comes from sugar and corn syrup. 

In addition Fruit Snack contains juice concentrate which is not healthy for dogs. Sweet potato pear and apple juices come from concentrate. 

There is also citric acid which isnot good for our dogs’ stomachs. 

Dogs who eat 1 pouch of Motts Fruit Snacks or 0.8 oz will have consumed 19 grams of carbs 10 grams of sugar and 30 mg of sodium. When it comes to treats this is way too many carbs sugar and sodium for our furry friends. 

Dog treats should not make up more than 10% of your pups daily calories. There are 80 calories in just one pouch or 0.8 oz of Motts Fruit Snacks. It is possible to go over their daily calorie intake if you have a small dog. 

Regular consumption of Motts Fruit snacks can result in weight gain diabetes dental problems changes to the metabolism and even pancreatitis. Because of these reasons we recommend that our four-legged friends stay away from Motts Fruit Snacks.

When shouldn’t you feed Fruit snacks to your dog?

You should not feed your dog Fruit snacks if he is diabetic overweight or has any of the following health conditions: 

• Heart problem.
• Pancreatitis.
• Arthritis. 
• Tooth decay for example.

Dog-friendly safe and non-toxic Fruit snacks alternatives

Here are some options you should consider instead of Fruit snacks if your furry family member loves fruits and vegetables: 

• The antioxidant content of blueberries is high. Superfoods can protect dogs from cell damage and they are considered a superfood. you can satisfy your dogs sweet tooth with blueberries which are packed with phytochemicals and fiber.
• Apples Fruit snacks are not the best source of Vitamins A and C but apples are. The fiber in apples is beneficial to your canines digestive system because they are sweet and sweet. Ensure you remove the core and seeds from apples before feeding them to your pups to prevent choking.  
• Vitamins and fiber are abundant in carrots as well. Furthermore carrot pieces are also very good for your dogs teeth since they can remove tartar from their teeth. Rather than ruining your puppys teeth with Fruit snacks carrots actually help them. 
• Pineapples are sweet and loaded with vitamins minerals and fiber. Your puppy will also enjoy the sweetness of this fruit. The enzyme bromelain is also found in pineapples. Dogs can better absorb protein by ingesting bromelain.

Are Fruit snacks candy?

As if the above information wasnot enough a class-action lawsuit was filed in late 2015 against Promotion in Motion the manufacturer of Welchs Fruit snacks.

Basically the lawsuit condemns the manufacturer for deceiving customers into thinking their Fruit snacks are healthy fruity and delicious when in fact they are dangerous and harmful.

So can dogs eat Fruit snacks?

The information listed above suggests that Fruit snacks do not make good dog treats. They contain a number of ingredients that are harmful to your dogs health such as sugar fat concentrated grape juice synthetic dyes for color citric acid and artificial flavors. 

If you do not understand the ingredients or can not pronounce them on a food item then you should probably skip it. A good example is fruit snacks which are chewy fruit candies. Avoid feeding your dog these fruit snacks if you want him or her to be healthy and happy.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can Dogs Eat Fruit Snacks? (Incl. Welch’s Fruit Snacks) (Watch Video)