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Do you enjoy eating Nutella, perhaps with pancakes, fruit, or on toast? Does your family love Nutella? If so, then you’re one of many pet parents who eat Nutella on almost anything and everything! But what happens if your cat eats Nutella?
Has your cat eaten some Nutella? Are you worried the Nutella will make your cat sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. It can be scary when your cat eats something he shouldn’t and so we want to give you the best possible advice.
In this article, we’ll take a look at Nutella and whether or not it can make your cat sick. Let’s get started!
What is Nutella?
Nutella is an extremely popular spread for bread, toast, and more. You can use it in baking, making Nutella cocktails, enjoying with ice cream, and so much more ! It’s a delicious spread loved by all ages.
The spread is made from sweetened hazelnut cocoa and comes from Ferrero, an Italian company that is the 3rd largest producer of chocolate in the world. The spread was created in WWII by a baker named Pietro Ferrero. He added ground hazelnuts to a chocolate spread as a replacement for cocoa in that time.
Nutella as we know it today contains sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skimmed milk powder, soy lecithin, and vanillin.
While humans can safely enjoy Nutella, is it safe for cats to eat?
Nutella & Cats
Unfortunately, cats should not eat Nutella. This is because the spread contains chocolate, which can be to cats. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which is the part that is toxic for cats (and dogs). This is a dose-dependent toxin, however, and there is variation between products – with dark and cooking chocolates containing much higher doses of theobromine than milk chocolate.
The good news is that Nutella doesn’t contain particularly high amounts of chocolate, so it is unlikely to be lethal to a cat. However, Nutella could certainly cause digestive tract issues, especially in cats that have sensitive stomachs. The spread also contains high quantities of sugar, milk, and fat, which, like chocolate, can also contribute to making cats sick.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Nutella Ingestion in Cats
You may notice these symptoms in your cat if he’s eaten Nutella:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
One lick of Nutella is probably not enough to make your cat sick. However, if your fur baby eats a larger quantity of Nutella, he could become very unwell . So, if your cat shows any of these symptoms at all, or if he has eaten a large amount of Nutella, then it is best to call the vet right away.
The concern here is that your cat could have continuous diarrhea and/or vomiting, which can lead to dehydration. The vet can treat your cat with IV fluids for dehydration, as well as with medications that can stop diarrhea and vomiting.
The good news is that cats who eat a large amount of Nutella will often make a good recovery with prompt medical care.
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Rebecca MacMillan, BVetMed BSAVA PGCertSAM MRCVS
Rebecca is a companion animal vet who has always had a passion for writing and client communication. Since her graduation from the Royal Veterinary college in 2009 she has gained a wealth of experience in first opinion small animal practice, in both clinical and managerial roles. She currently works in the South West and deals with a variety of routine and emergency appointments, but particularly enjoys medicine cases. Outside of work and writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her bouncy flat coated retriever George!
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