People love Nutella and they eat it on a weekly basis. As such many of them would like to share this food with their dogs. Can dogs eat Nutella or must they avoid it? This is the question you need to understand before you start sharing Nutella with your pet. Many foods that are good and delicious for people are bad for dogs. Now you will see if Nutella is one of those.
Can dogs eat Nutella?
Let’s begin with the first and the most essential things you need to know. Can dogs eat Nutella? The answer is no. This is dangerous and toxic food to all dogs and as such they must not consume it. If a dog licks a small amount of Nutella, he will be fine but feed him a bit more and you two are in a serious problem.
Nutella contains cocoa. How much is present is a secret. There are no official data regarding the matter and a company will keep that is a secret. That’s why generalizing the details is difficult. Cocoa is toxic to our furry pets and if ingested will cause all kinds of issues.
The main reason for that is Methylxanthines which is basically theobromine and caffeine. When ingested it will start affecting the body of a dog in a negative way which can quickly become very severe and problematic. Two tablespoons or one ounce of Nutella will contain 34 grams of methylxanthines. However, this is not a dangerous amount for a dog of 10 pounds. He will not have any symptoms. Give him 3.5 ounces or more and the issue will come to life.
Nutella poisoning
Perhaps it sounds funny to some. Sadly, this is the truth. Nutella poisoning in dogs is a common thing. If a dog eats more than 3-4 ounces of this treat he will start developing issues with his central nervous system and heart. Your dog is in trouble right now and you will see one or multiple symptoms. These symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Hyperactivity
- Diarrhea
- Panting
- Vomiting
- Increased heart rate
- Seizures
- Tremors
All of these will lead to death! Now you can see how dangerous this ‘’treat’’ will be. He will also get internal bleeding which is another, risky and dangerous problem here. In most cases dogs will become hyperactive first, they will vomit and they will have diarrhea. This is due to the fact their body is trying to fight the toxin and cure itself. But, it is not possible.
These are more severe complications and they obviously come to life when a dog eats a bit more Nutella. Sadly, this means a few tablespoons only. Even if he eats a small amount of Nutella, a dog will likely develop an upset stomach. This is actually extremely common and in some cases visible as the first symptom.
What should you do?
If you give Nutella to your dog or he found it and he did his thing, you need to take action immediately! The first thing you must do is induce vomiting. There are a lot of ways you can use and all of them will work well. This is mandatory in order to remove Nutella from his stomach and prevent further poisoning. The next thing to do is to use activated charcoal. This is mandatory as well. It will stop the additional absorption of Nutella.
Sadly, this is all you can do. There are no cures you can make at home. As such, you will have to take him to a vet immediately. A vet will give him IV fluids and also certain medications that will prevent the toxin. A dog must stay at the clinic so you can see how severe this problem actually is. If you act fast and the dog reaches the vet quickly, the success is visible.
You will need to remember that vet help is mandatory regardless of the amount of Nutella a dog ate. Even the smallest amount will have some issues and cause some problems. Treatment is mandatory and a vet will start one as soon as possible.
Additional Risks: Fat and Sugar
Nutella is sweet and can help you gain weight. If you like and need these two you can eat Nutella all the time. For dogs, these are two additional problems. We can see 12 grams of fat and even 21 grams of sugar in Nutella. Humans don’t have a hard time digesting these. We are used to high fat and sugar levels. Dogs are not. They will have a hard time trying to digest these.
These two can cause pancreatitis as well. This is another issue if you decide to take care of your dog at home. You will not know when or if he has developed this condition. That’s why it is always a much better choice to take him to a local vet clinic. Pancreatitis is a severe condition and a vet must prescribe a treatment.
If you are at home and you notice certain symptoms 24-48 hours after the issue, it may mean that pancreatitis is causing them. Some are difficult to notice while others are obvious. Anyway, the most common symptoms are:
- Lack of appetite
- Depression
- Vomiting (extensive and prolonged)
- Pain in the stomach
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
Pancreatitis can even kill your dog so you can see how severe all of this is. Many owners will take their dog to a vet even if they believe he got in contact with Nutella. Now you can see why this treat is one that dogs do not need.
The final word
Can dogs eat Nutella? No, unless you want to poison them. All dogs must avoid Nutella at any given moment. This is loaded with toxins for them and can kill them within 2-3 days. Seizures and tremors are the last symptoms! Avoid feeding the dog with Nutella and make sure to take him to a vet if he gets in contact with a jar.
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