dog ate black licorice candy, will he be ok?

May 5, 2014 7:19 PM

I had a bag of chewy black licorice sticks, and my mom's dog (a bichon frise) got into it. Not sure how much the little feller ate, maybe 5-8 sticks max before I stopped him. Will he get sick? Googling delivers different results (safe in moderation, OMG poison), so I thought I'd bring it to you folk. He's on a steroidal medication for some kind of itchy skin condition, but I think that's it.
posted by Koko to Pets & Animals (11 answers total)

Does the candy's packaging list licorice or glycyrrhiza as an ingredient?
posted by Houstonian at 7:29 PM on May 5, 2014

Response by poster: Doesn't say ... just Idylwilde Farms Black Licorice Twists. They seem to me like pretty typical old-fashioned chewy licorice candies, FWIW.
posted by Koko at 7:45 PM on May 5, 2014

Licorice is different in different countries. In the US, most licorice is not made with the ingredients you'd worry about (licorice, which has glycyrrhiza). In other countries, true licorice may be used. That's why it's important to know. Not sure what's best for you to do if you don't know the ingredients.
posted by Houstonian at 7:59 PM on May 5, 2014

Response by poster: Doubtful that it was true licorice. Made & bought in the US. The licorice flavor is not terribly strong. I'm thinking they used extract.
posted by Koko at 8:03 PM on May 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

I have a Bichon, too, and he's eaten all sorts of random things (gum, Swedish fish, half a sleeve of Thin Mints...). Only time the vet was really concerned was when he ate a bunch of grapes (very toxic to dogs). I think your mom's dog will be ok. May have a bit of diarrhea, but otherwise he should be fine. Of course, IANAV...
posted by jenny76 at 8:22 PM on May 5, 2014

Why not just call the emergency vet and ask?
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:33 PM on May 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

You can induce vomiting if that's what the emergency vet recommends - info here.
posted by maryr at 9:00 PM on May 5, 2014

You, and your Mom are the best at what the dog needs and feels. Has there been any change in their behavior, eating habits, or bathroom habits? We had a friends dog (Golden Lab) eat a pound of fudge from a vendor at a craft fair. (Left the dog and the fudge in the car for 5 minutes, alone) We waiting all night for anything to happened and were expecting the worse but nothing ever happened. It didn't seem to affect the dog at all. I would call the dog's vet and ask their opinion. Have the licorice package handy if possible and list off the ingredients if the vet asks. The dog may have an upset stomach for a few hours but this will pass. Take them out for a walk and see if if they are interested in eating some tall, green grass. It is nature's way of a dog soothing their stomach. If they eat enough, it can cause them to vomit if they need to.
posted by BostonCannuck at 7:20 AM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

you can call them and ask what the ingredients are.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 9:44 AM on May 6, 2014

jenny76: Only time the vet was really concerned was when he ate a bunch of grapes (very toxic to dogs).

More correctly, "very toxic to some dogs, and not at all to others, and we don't yet know why." This includes raisins, BTW.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:54 AM on May 6, 2014

Response by poster: Dog's ok; spent the entire 4 hour trip back to my mom's house passing gas, but otherwise fine :)
posted by Koko at 8:44 AM on May 10, 2014