Help! My Dog Ate A Chocolate Donut

The Short Answer is:

A dog’s ingested chocolate should never be taken lightly, and even a small amount should be cause for concern. You can either continue to monitor your dog or ask your vet for advice depending on its size. You should always seek immediate treatment and take your dog to the vet if your pet shows signs of toxicity.

The purpose of this article is to explain “Help! My Dog Ate A Chocolate Donut“.

You walk into a room and find an empty box of chocolate donuts accompanied by an extremely guilty-looking dog.

Chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs but we do not know how toxic chocolate donuts are.

Does this necessitate a trip to the emergency room or would it make more sense to call your veterinarian and ask what needs to be done first?

Try to understand how dangerous it is for your dog to eat chocolate donuts.

What is the size of the dog and the size of the chocolate donut?

Size matters when it comes to chocolate toxicity. Dogs start showing symptoms when they eat 20mg of dark chocolate per kilogram of body weight including vomiting (which may have blood) diarrhea hyperactivity and seizures. 

Lets talk about how big your dog is. The donut is roughly 24 grams and the glaze is roughly 10 grams of semi-sweet chocolate assuming you have an adult male Golden Retriever weighing 32kg. A total of 14g of chocolate is in the donut so your dog should not be hurt but it does not hurt to keep an eye on him.

Alternatively if your Mini Pinscher that weighs 4kg ate a full box of chocolate glazed donuts call your veterinarian.

What are the main ingredients in a chocolate donut?

Sugar fat and chocolate make up the majority of donuts. Only the cocoa powder for chocolate donuts and the chocolate glaze for topping a lot of different flavors of donuts should be avoided.

How can sugar affect a dog?

Granulated household sugar is not great for dogs but it is also not toxic either. Its generally not a good idea to give your dog sugary treats like candy or muffins as they can cause upset stomachs and even diabetes. 

In sugar-free treats however xylitol is an artificial sweetener thats toxic to them. They may experience blood sugar drops at alarming rates as well as liver damage. Dogs usually ingest xylitol when they eat sugar-free candy but you might be surprised to know that some peanut butter also contains this sweetener. If you plan to feed your dog human food for treats make sure to read the labels.

How can fat affect a dog?

Dog owners often think that eating fat is bad for their dogs but the truth is that both too much and too little fat can harm them. On dog food labels you’ll see that your dog needs a certain amount of fat as part of its diet. On the other hand if you feed your dogs fatty treats it may mean that they are consuming too much fat which can lead to obesity or pancreatitis.

In general if you feed your dog high-quality dog food they get a balanced diet with all the nutrients and minerals they need fat included.

How can chocolate affect a dog?

Theres a good reason why so many fur parents and veterinarians are very adamant about chocolate being poisonous to dogs. With enough chocolate your dog can suffer seizures a heart attack internal bleeding and even die. This is because chocolate contains theobromine which dogs have difficulty processing.

Chocolate is primarily made from the cacao plant which contains a significant amount of theobromine. Cocoa powder also contains large amounts of theobromine. The more theobromine in the chocolate the purer it is. 

It follows that the type of chocolate matters. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa than milk chocolate or white chocolate which makes it more dangerous for dogs. With just 11g of dark chocolate a 3kg Yorkshire Terrier can start showing toxic effects. However it would take 22g to achieve the same result with milk chocolate or twice as much.

As well as theobromine chocolate contains caffeine which is also bad for dogs if not deadly. What makes humans different from animals when they consume chocolate? We metabolize theobromine faster than dogs so it does not get a chance to build up in our bodies. Our body is clearly more tolerant of caffeine since we drink so much coffee.

However when it comes to dogs and chocolate how much is too much? As we discussed earlier a dog can start showing symptoms of toxicity after eating as little as 20 mg of dark chocolate. You may notice more severe symptoms if you increase the amount of chocolate your dog consumes to 40mg to 50mg per kilogram. When they consume more than 60mg for every kilogram they weigh they will start experiencing seizures and could die. You do not have to feed your dog a lot of chocolate to make him very very sick because thats milligrams not grams.

What are the symptoms of chocolate poisoning?

If your dog ate a lot of chocolate they could show signs of restlessness hyperactivity tremors diarrhea and they could pee more. In addition to the vomiting seizures and cardiac arrest that may result from more chocolate they could also collapse and die.

How can you help a dog that has eaten a chocolate donut?

The best thing to do is to call your vet right away (or a pet poison hotline if you have one) or take your dog to the nearest veterinarian if your dog shows signs of chocolate toxicity. When poisoning occurs even in a pet early treatment is always less invasive and more effective. When you wait for things to get worse before seeking help the treatment will likely be more costly and more stressful for your pet.

How would vets treat a dog with chocolate poisoning?

Getting your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible is the key to treating chocolate poisoning. When you can take your dog to the vet during the early stages of toxicity the vet will administer medications to induce vomiting and activated charcoal to block theobromine from getting into your dogs system.

When your dog has already reached the late stages of toxicity they may need to have their stomach pumped. Aside from the active charcoal treatment your pet will then receive fluids and IV drugs.

How to prevent dogs from eating chocolate donuts

Avoid giving your dogs chocolate donuts if you want to prevent them from eating them. Its best not to leave the chocolate donut box lying around where your pets can grab it. You can not depend on your dogs discretion and ability to resist sweets.

Why do dogs like eating chocolate donuts?

All sugary treats taste great including chocolate donuts. Sugar is also a natural attraction for dogs and they are similar to people in that regard. Despite this sugary treats can still be harmful to your dog even if they do not contain chocolate. Their metabolism can be affected they can get cavities they can become obese and even develop diabetes. 

When you give your dog human food as treats you’re doing a lot of harm to them in the long run. If you want the best food for your dog its best to stick with high-quality dog treats. Good dog food can provide a well-balanced diet that will help prevent many health problems in the future such as arthritis liver issues and pancreatitis.

My dog ate a chocolate donut. what should I do?

A dogs ingested chocolate should never be taken lightly and even a small amount should be cause for concern. You can either continue to monitor your dog or ask your vet for advice depending on its size. You should always seek immediate treatment and take your dog to the vet if your pet shows signs of toxicity.

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.