Nutella has become a staple in many pantries and cupboards across the world. It’s the number one spread for many folks out there who want to make a piece of toast more exciting.
Just be careful when spreading Nutella because you don’t want it falling to the ground where your dog can get to it. Still, should that really be a major concern for you? Is Nutella bad for dogs or is that an assumption many of us have just made?
We will answer those interesting questions in this article. Find out if Nutella is bad for dogs as many of us suspect or if it’s a treat you can actually give to your pet. Continue reading because some of the answers you’ll find here may be quite illuminating.
Can Dogs Eat Nutella?
Let’s start by getting to the main question right away. Can dogs actually eat Nutella? Well, the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no”.
Nutella is marketed as a hazelnut cocoa spread. The presence of cocoa in that label is probably the reason why you suspect that Nutella will be bad for your dog, and that’s fair.
We know all about how bad chocolate is for dogs so a product that lists cocoa as an ingredient will likely be bad for them too. However, there’s something about the way ingredients are portioned out in Nutella that could make it less of a threat to your pet. Then again, it could still be bad for your pet dog in other ways.
Cocoa Level
First off, let’s focus on the cocoa level in a jar of Nutella.
Ferrero notes on their website that fat-reduced cocoa makes up 7.4 percent of the spread. For the sake of comparison, hazelnuts at 13 percent and skimmed milk powder at 8.7 are more significant components of regular Nutella relative to cocoa.
While the level of cocoa present inside regular Nutella is still significant, it’s not as threatening to dogs. Your dog can probably lick some regular Nutella off of a fallen spoon and still avoid chocolate poisoning.
Nutella Cocoa contains significantly more cocoa. The amount of fat-reduced cocoa in Nutella Cocoa is right at 15 percent. Compared to the regular variant, Nutella Cocoa is more likely to cause cocoa poisoning in dogs.
Fats and Sugars
Nutella Cocoa is not good for dogs because of its high cocoa content, but what about the regular variant? Can your dog eat that safely?
While your dog may not get sick from a single lick of regular Nutella, it is still not good for them. Even regular Nutella is not recommended for dogs because of how much fat and sugar it contains.
According to Ferrero, a single 15-gram serving of regular Nutella contains 4.6 grams of fat. That same 15-gram serving also delivers 8.4 grams of sugar.
You don’t want to add that much fat and sugar to your dog’s diet. Dogs can develop serious conditions if they consume too much fat and sugar regularly. Some of those serious conditions include diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis.
Protect your pet from those harmful ailments by keeping Nutella out of their diet.
What to Do if My Dog Eats Nutella?
Accidents can happen in the kitchen. That jar of Nutella may slip from your grasp, crash onto the floor, and spill out its contents in the process. The spoonful of Nutella you’re about to spread on toast may also slip from your hand and fall on the floor.
Dogs tend to pounce on those accidents to gobble up your spilled food. Unfortunately, the treat they’re eating in those instances may be harmful to them.
So, what should you do if your dog eats Nutella that was accidentally spread on the floor? The tips detailed below will help you out.
Reference Your Dog’s Medical History
You should reference your dog’s medical history to figure out how to proceed here. Dogs that already have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or pancreatitis should be taken to the veterinarian immediately if they ate Nutella.
The amount of fat and sugar in Nutella can trigger those pre-existing conditions. Your dog may fall ill if that happens so act right away to prevent things from getting worse.
Observe Your Dog Closely
Nutella can still be harmful to your dog even if they don’t have the pre-existing conditions we mentioned. Your dog may react poorly to the fat and sugar in Nutella. They may end up sick as a result.
Some of the symptoms your dog may exhibit after eating Nutella include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Fever
Diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and lethargy are the symptoms dogs exhibit most often if their fat and/or sugar levels are too high. Meanwhile, the onset of a fever is a potential indicator that your dog has pancreatitis.
Avoid Feeding Your Dog
If your dog is showing some ill effects from eating the Nutella, you can try to fast them in an attempt to get their condition back to normal.
Fasting means not feeding your dog for 24 hours. You can give them some water during that time, but you should also limit that if possible.
Dogs that go through the fasting period without vomiting or defecating too much will likely be fine. However, those who continue to display symptoms will need immediate medical attention.
Bring Your Dog to the Veterinarian
Your dog may still be sick after the fasting period. If so, you need to take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
There’s a chance that your dog has already developed a case of pancreatitis. That must be treated right away or else your dog could become seriously ill.
How Much Nutella Is Likely to Be Too Much for a Dog?
As much as possible, you should avoid ever giving your dog Nutella. Nothing good can come from that. Choose a different treat if you want to spoil your dog.
Notably, your dog can still avoid getting sick even if they ate some Nutella you dropped on the floor. A tablespoon of Nutella is likely not enough to harm a dog. The risk is slightly higher for small dogs since even a spoonful is a significant amount to them.