Animal crackers are the cookie-shaped crackers kids carry in bags, and dogs find the bags.
What is on the label
I pulled the ingredient list for Barnum’s Animals Crackers from Open Food Facts (product code 0737566874294). Ingredients are listed from the most to the least by weight.
Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], folic acid), sugar, soybean and/or canola oil, yellow corn flour, dextrose, fructose, calcium carbonate (source of calcium), baking soda, soy lecithin, salt, natural and artificial flavor
Recipes change, and flavors and package sizes can differ, so read the bag you actually have before you rely on this list.
What matters for your dog
- Sugar. Plain sugar isn’t poisonous to dogs, but it adds calories a dog doesn’t need. Sugar, dextrose and fructose are all on this label.
- Nothing else from ASPCA’s list. I compared this label to ASPCA’s list of people foods to avoid and didn’t find onion, garlic, chives, chocolate, caffeine, xylitol, grapes, raisins or macadamia nuts.
About Animal Crackers
The Barnum’s label lists enriched flour, sugar, oil, corn flour, dextrose, fructose, calcium carbonate, baking soda, soy lecithin, salt and flavor. No chocolate, xylitol, onion, garlic or dairy is listed.
Three sweeteners (sugar, dextrose and fructose) are on the list, so it’s a sweet cracker. A few crackers are a small amount. A whole box is a lot of sugar and flour at once.
I checked the plain Barnum’s Animals Crackers. Frosted animal crackers and chocolate-dipped ones are different products with different labels, and chocolate is toxic to dogs per ASPCA.
If your dog already ate some
Write down what it was, how much, when, and your dog’s weight, and keep the package. Then call your vet, ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.
Don’t wait for symptoms if the snack has chocolate, xylitol, or a lot of onion or garlic in it. And don’t try to make your dog vomit with salt or salt water. Pet Poison Helpline says that can cause salt poisoning.
Questions people ask
Can dogs eat animal crackers?
The plain Barnum’s label lists nothing from ASPCA’s foods-to-avoid list. It’s a sweet cracker, not food a dog needs.
What about frosted animal crackers?
Those are a different product with a different label. Read it, and skip any with chocolate, which ASPCA says is toxic to dogs.
My dog ate a whole box. What now?
Call your vet and tell them about how many crackers and your dog’s weight. That’s a lot of sugar and flour at once, especially for a small dog.
More label checks
- Can Dogs Eat Graham Crackers?Flour, sugar, oil and honey. Nothing from ASPCA's list on the label.
- Can Dogs Eat Goldfish Crackers?Onion powder is on the label. Skip these.
- Can Dogs Eat Oreos?Cocoa is on the label. One cookie is a smaller worry than a sleeve.
- Can Dogs Eat Chips Ahoy Cookies?Real chocolate chips are on the label. Treat a sleeve as a call to your vet.
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Sources
- ASPCA: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
- Pet Poison Helpline: Salt
- Pet Poison Helpline: Chocolate
- Open Food Facts: Barnum’s Animals Crackers (code 0737566874294)
Last reviewed October 31, 2026. I’m not a vet, and this page is general information, not veterinary advice. Every dog is different. If you’re worried about your dog, call your vet.