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My dog ate Nutella and maple syrup. Should I take him to the vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 4 years and 5 months old

Hello, I'm hoping you can help. I accidentally left the bowl I had breakfast from containing maple syrup porridge and a little bit of Nutella on the floor, and I come back into the room to find my sleeping dog is now up and licking the bowl. What should I do? Should I take him to the vet or keep an eye on him?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 15th, 2018

Nutella can be toxic not because of the amount of chocolate (which is known to be minimal) but for the fat content (the same for maple syrup). Toxicity would depend on his size/weight and amount ingested.
Gastrointestinal signs like vomiting and diarrhoea will probably occur but you should not notice anything else if the quantity ingested is minimal (please give us more indications about it).
As a general approach I would recommend close monitoring and withhold food for the next 12 hours. Start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days.

I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if you notice diarrhoea, vomiting, lethargy or inappetence or any other sign you may be worried about.
Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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