Can Dogs Eat Marshmallows? What the Label Says

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Sugar, corn syrup and gelatin. No xylitol or chocolate on the label.Nothing on this label is on ASPCA’s avoid list, but it’s pure sugar. Sugar-free or chocolate-covered versions are a different story.

Marshmallows land on a dog’s radar around campfires, hot chocolate and the holidays.

What is on the label

I pulled the ingredient list for Marshmallows from Open Food Facts (product code 0600699003285). Ingredients are listed from the most to the least by weight.

Corn syrup, sugar, dextrose, modified cornstarch, water, contains less than 2% of gelatin, tetrasodium pyrophosphate (whipping aid), natural and artificial flavor, blue1

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. Corn syrup and sugar are the first two ingredients.
Xylitol check. Pet Poison Helpline says xylitol is a sweetener found in many products, not just gum, and that it can cause life-threatening low blood sugar and liver failure in dogs. Xylitol is not 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 Marshmallows

The Jet-Puffed label lists corn syrup, sugar, dextrose, modified cornstarch, water, gelatin, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, flavor and blue 1. There’s no xylitol, no chocolate, and no onion or garlic.

That makes sugar the main thing to think about: it’s calories without nutrition, and a bag is a lot at once. Check for xylitol on any sugar-free marshmallow product, and keep s’mores off the ground, because the chocolate is what turns that snack into a problem. ASPCA says chocolate is toxic to dogs.

I checked regular Jet-Puffed marshmallows. Other brands, flavors and sugar-free versions have different labels.

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