# Can I give my dog an Altoid or any type of mint? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816 "2002-10-11T13:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/1 "2002-10-11T13:54:13Z")
Are Altoids OK for dogs? Ingredients: Sugar, Artificial Flavor, Gum Arabic, Gelatin, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor Nothing jumps out at me as bad for the dog, but I would have thought the same thing about chocolate before Cecil’s column. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/2 "2002-10-11T17:45:03Z")
Your dog probably won’t like it. I gave a dog some Sweet Breath drops one time, she was pissed at me. Sneezed a lot, too. There’s a lot of stuff out there for doggy breath. I have some stuff that came in a “sample pack” of various doggy dental care products. One is a bottle of liquid stuff you can put in their water bowl. Also there’s minty treats. There are a lot of chews you can give them with mint flavoring and others that just plain help clean their teeth. You also can/should brush your dog’s teeth. Be sure to use doggy toothpaste, tho, since they WILL swallow it and even people aren’t supposed to swallow people toothpaste. If your dog resists the brush like mine does, try wrapping some gauze around your finger and putting the paste on there and then massaging their teeth and gums with it. If your dog has way stinky breath all the time, it may have a bad tooth. Take a look and then perhaps see what a doggy dentist or vet can do for you. You probably didn’t want to know all of this - perhaps your concerned about a pooch who ate a tin of Altoids. I’ll stop now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/3 "2002-10-11T19:50:23Z")
No, that’s all good info, thanks! It is indeed a breath issue. He has regular vet visits, and has always had stanky pooch breath, so I don’t think it’s a bad tooth. It’s not even really very bad, probably average dog breath, but I wondered if there was any good reason not to give him an Altoid and see if he likes it. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/4 "2002-10-11T19:54:50Z")
but it’s easier to brush people teeth, see the dogs love doggie toothpaste so much that they try to lick it of the brush. It’s easiest as a two person job. My dog likes altoids. He hasn’t quite associated the minty freshness with the 5 minute sneezing fit that follows. And they say border collies are smart. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/5 "2002-10-11T20:45:46Z")
My Great Dane, Loki, likes wintergreen Altoids. Go figure… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/6 "2002-10-11T23:28:14Z")
I shattered a Wintergreen Altoid and gave him a few pieces, as a test. He’s a very small dog, a 6 pound or so Pomeranian, so I felt a whole one would be too much. Preliminary results: 1. He likes them 2. The 2 small pieces I gave him had no effect on his breath. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/7 "2002-10-12T00:14:56Z")
I got something called “Burt’s Bees Peppermint Breath Drops,” which can be squirted onto the tongue or put in the dog’s water. The water application had no effect at all, except that the cats would no longer drink out of the dog’s bowl, but the direct application made my dog’s breath minty fresh for, gosh, minutes at a time. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/8 "2002-10-12T02:20:40Z")
Rule of thumb is … if it’s not chocolate, and it’s good for humans, it’s okay for dogs. Dogs typically don’t like strong mint tastes and scents, though. My dogs are generous with the kisses, but after I’ve brushed my teeth they stay clear. Consider their extraordinarily sensitive senses of smell, and how “curiously strong” Altoids are for humans. For a dog, they’d probably feel the equivalent of what a human senses when we put a drop or two of Dave’s Insanity Sauce on our tongues. Remember, too, that dogs can taste distilled water. ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/9 "2002-10-12T03:57:51Z")
Sharik my Jack Russel terrier LOVES altiods. The little bastard will pass up doggie treats for altiods. My neighbours laugh when they hear me screaming “GORDO!” and start rampaging thru my house. Because they know the little bastard has somehow gotten into my altiods again. I think the pudgy fur ball has a bit of Racoon in him. _sigh_ the altoids aint killed him yet… but I still might. ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/10 "2002-10-12T16:13:39Z")
Onions are bad for dogs too! **InternetLegend** said: > [@](#): > > …direct application made my dog’s breath minty fresh for, gosh, minutes at a time. And it cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/11 "2002-10-12T16:23:48Z")
My dog loves Altoids. She doesn’t like the Listerine Strip things that dissolve on your tongue. But she will eat them nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/12 "2002-10-12T18:04:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*Rule of thumb is … if it’s not chocolate, and it’s good for humans, it’s okay for dogs. \*\* True for most foods, but not true for medications, especially NSAIDS. You can kill a dog giving it ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, or acetaminephin. The best rule of thumb is…When in doubt, check with a vet. ---
**Author:** ![Catmarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8491ac/32.png) [@Catmarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catmarie)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/13 "2002-10-14T10:54:39Z")
My dogs LOVE mint Imperials if I have the packet open beside me they will often try and get in it. Once I had all four sitting around me playing catch the mint imperial. 🆒 Didn’t really do much for their breathe but I don’t let them near my face if I can help it anyway (I can’t stand being licked on the face by a dog, or anyother animal for that matter). ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/14 "2002-10-14T12:42:19Z")
My dog likes Altoids and just about any mint-flavored thing. We found this out when lil’ Grommy kept showing up with surprisingly fresh breath. For a few days, we thought we had some sort of genetically enhanced dog. Then we found the empty bag of eucalyptis-flavored cough drops under the bed. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/15 "2002-10-14T12:59:31Z")
All of these recommendations have made me decide to try to ascertain Spunky the Wonder Bichon’s views on mint-flavored things. I don’t normally buy Altoids and the like but if there’s a chance of freshening his grotty little mouth a bit, I’ll give it a shot. I held him last night and told him “You are the best dog in the world with the worst breath in the world!” In response, he yawned at me, giving me a double dose. Gotta love dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/16 "2002-10-14T13:19:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Athena \* > \*\* Then we found the empty bag of eucalyptis-flavored cough drops under the bed. \*\* Now that you mention it, my dog also loves cough drops. Or, he has one hell of a sore throat. ---
**Author:** ![mistydake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mistydake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistydake)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/17 "2015-02-06T17:46:25Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Rule of thumb is … if it’s not chocolate, and it’s good for humans, it’s okay for dogs. Raisins and grapes are just as toxic as chocolate for your dog. Based on your dog’s weight, after consuming about 15 grapes per pound or 15-30 raisins per pound your dog could suffer complete liver failure and die. If you suspect your dog has eaten grapes or raisins you should IMMEDIATELY call your vet. {Reference}[http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/grape-and-raisin-toxicity-in-dogs/4397](http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/grape-and-raisin-toxicity-in-dogs/4397) ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/18 "2015-02-06T20:52:32Z")
I can’t see how a breath mint would do anything for doggie breath, since they won’t let it sit around on their tongue, and they probably won’t even chew it up much. Just gulp it down. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/19 "2015-02-06T21:24:05Z")
> [@mistydake](#): > > Raisins and grapes are just as toxic as chocolate for your dog. Based on your dog’s weight, after consuming about 15 grapes per pound or 15-30 raisins per pound your dog could suffer complete liver failure and die. If you suspect your dog has eaten grapes or raisins you should IMMEDIATELY call your vet. > > {Reference}[http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/grape-and-raisin-toxicity-in-dogs/4397](http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/grape-and-raisin-toxicity-in-dogs/4397) Grapes/raisins cause renal failure, not liver. Xylitol is the real one to look out for - a very common, popular “sugar free” sweetener used in many mints and gum. That one is more deadly than grapes/raisins/chocolate. I haven’t seen a dog receive treatment for grapes/raisins/chocolate/macadamia nuts/marijuana/whatever that didn’t live. Xylitol, that one causes liver failure and depending on the amount ingested, can cause death within hours. That one, I’ve seen dogs die from even with aggressive emergency treatment. Those zombies don’t come back, even after 13 years! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816/20 "2015-02-06T21:47:01Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Grapes/raisins cause renal failure, not liver. > > Xylitol is the real one to look out for - a very common, popular “sugar free” sweetener used in many mints and gum. That one is more deadly than grapes/raisins/chocolate. I haven’t seen a dog receive treatment for grapes/raisins/chocolate/macadamia nuts/marijuana/whatever that didn’t live. Xylitol, that one causes liver failure and depending on the amount ingested, can cause death within hours. That one, I’ve seen dogs die from even with aggressive emergency treatment. > > Those zombies don’t come back, even after 13 years! I came to say Xylitol too. It’s in a great many gums and mints, and can be fatal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-give-my-dog-an-altoid-or-any-type-of-mint/131816.md?page=2)