Can Dogs Eat Peppermint? Not Really — Mint Can Upset Them

Why peppermint can upset a dog

Peppermint is one of the garden mints, and the ASPCA's plant database lists mint as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The toxic principle it names is the plant's essential oils, and the signs it lists are vomiting and diarrhea with large ingestions.

That last part matters. A dog that nibbles a sprig from the herb garden is unlikely to have more than a mild stomach upset. A dog that eats a whole potted plant, a bowl of fresh mint or anything made from concentrated peppermint oil is taking in far more of those oils.

Spreading a few safe pieces across a snuffle mat or packing them into a puzzle toy turns a small treat into a few minutes of sniffing work.

Sugar-free mints, gum and candy: the bigger danger

The peppermint products most dogs find are breath mints, gum and candy, and the risk there is the sweetener. VCA lists sugarless gums and candies that contain xylitol as toxic, and says xylitol causes a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and liver failure in dogs.

Check the label for xylitol, sometimes listed as birch sugar, in mints, gum, mouthwash and toothpaste. If it is there, call a vet or poison line straight away, before any signs. Hard candies and mints in wrappers can also choke a dog or block the gut, and the wrappers often go down too.

Peppermint oil and scented products

Peppermint essential oil is many times more concentrated than the leaf. Do not put peppermint oil on your dog, add it to food or water, or use it as a flea or calming remedy unless your vet has told you to. Licking oil off fur or a spill is how many dogs get a large dose.

Diffusers, scented sprays and cleaning products with peppermint can bother some dogs, especially in a small closed room. Keep oil bottles closed and out of reach, and wipe up spills promptly.

What to do if your dog ate peppermint

For a few nibbled leaves, move the plant out of reach, offer fresh water and watch for drooling, vomiting or diarrhea over the next day. Most dogs are fine.

For sugar-free mints, gum, candy canes or peppermint oil, call your vet or a poison line now. Have the package ready, so you can say what it was, roughly how much is missing and when. Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.

Puppies and small dogs

Puppies chew plants and anything that smells interesting, and their small size means a few mints or a stick of gum is a larger dose. Keep herb pots, bags, coat pockets and purses with gum or mints off the floor.

If a puppy or toy breed ate any sugar-free gum or mint, treat it as an emergency and call straight away. For a nibbled leaf, watch for stomach upset and call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea repeats.

Signs to watch, and when to call a vet

After the plant, the ASPCA lists vomiting and diarrhea as the usual signs, and drooling is common too. If your dog is otherwise bright and the upset stops within a day, it usually settles without treatment.

After anything that might contain xylitol, watch for vomiting, weakness, wobbling, trembling, collapse or seizures, and go to a vet immediately if you see them. Call the same day for vomiting that repeats, a painful belly, or straining after your dog swallowed candy or wrappers.

Fresh breath and treats without peppermint

If you were reaching for mint to freshen your dog's breath, ask your vet about dental care instead. Brushing with a toothpaste made for dogs, dental chews sized for your dog and regular checks do far more than mint, and bad breath can be a sign of dental disease worth getting looked at.

For a holiday treat, give your dog a chew made for dogs, a few blueberries or apple slices with the core and seeds removed, and keep candy canes and gum well out of reach.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.