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My dog ate brown sugar and plastic. Should I take her to the vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 10 years and 11 months old | 60 lbs

My yellow lab got into a bag of brown sugar earlier this evening while I was out. It is difficult to tell how much she ate, maybe about a cup. She might have also eaten little bits of the plastic bag that it was in. She drank a good amount of water but has otherwise seemed normal. It is about 5 hours later and she just woke up from her sleep and began panting fairly heavily. The panting seems to be coming and going. Should I take her to a pet hospital?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 20th, 2017

Fortunately there isn't any toxicity linked to brown sugar, having say that a large quantity can cause severe GI discomfort, cramps and pain in the abdominal area, which may be the cause of the panting. if symptoms gets worse or if vomiting is starting to happen regularly, i would recommend taking her to the vet, otherwise just withhold food for at least 12 hours and this should hopefully get better soon.
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