My Dog Ate A Brownie [What You Have To Do ASAP]

Is there anything better than a brownie? And if you landed here today, chances are you enjoy them too! But what about your dog? And more importantly, how do you respond in the instance where your dog has eaten some? This is what you simply have to do.

So, what should you do if your dog ate a brownie? If your dog has eaten a brownie, it is best to contact your vet right away. Alternatively, you can always get in contact with organizations such as the Pet Poison Helpline for advice and assistance. Brownies mostly contain chocolate, which can be toxic to dogs even in small doses. So, acting promptly and proactively is advised.

And although you may be upset and stressed.

You cannot blame yourself.

These things happen.

Dogs are curious and they love to eat.

So, if they can get their mouths on anything lying around – they’ll take the opportunity.

They have even been known to try and eat corn on the cobs. And that just seems outright daft to you and I.

And while you can certainly learn from the experience and prevent it from happening again if your dog has already eaten brownie, it’s what you do now that counts.

So, let us delve deeper into what you should expect, and as time is of the essence, how you need to respond.

Will A Brownie Hurt My Dog?

Whether or not a brownie will hurt your dog depends mostly on the amount of the dose. And that does is brownie, dog, and breed dependent. For instance, a small brownie for a large Labrador is much different from a large browner consumed by a puppy Pomeranian.

Then there is the chocolate used for the brownie. Was it white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark?

And this is very important.

But why?

Well different types of chocolate, or brownies for that matter, will have a different amount of theobromine and caffeine.

These are essentially the two compounds in chocolate which can cause adverse reactions and toxicity in dogs.

Were there other ingredients in the brownie that could cause a reaction, too?

Perhaps even sweeteners or other additives that dogs are known to react adversely to, such as Xylitol?

Nevertheless, here is the full list of factors that will dictate whether your dog is harmed by the consumption of brownies:

The type of chocolate used in the brownie,
The amount of brownie consumed,
The age of your dog,
The weight of your dog,
Hydration levels, a
Activity for that day,
The amount of other food in your dog’s stomach at the time,
Health status or other known medical issues.

Regardless of where your dog falls on the scale, it’s imperative that you act quickly.

How you should do so, is now discussed below.

What To Do Now Your Dog Has Eaten A Brownie

If your dog has consumed brownie, in any amount, it’s best to contact your vet or an expert in animal poisoning like the Pet Poison Helpline. They will be able to advise on how to react, respond and support your dog in the safe excretion of this potentially toxic food.

Sure, you will see support forums of dog owners who simply advise to ‘wait it out’.

While this may be perfectly okay in some situations and contexts, it’s not without its risk.

For starters, how can you be sure how many brownies your dog consumed, or how potent it was in terms of theobromine and caffeine and all the other potential ingredients.

By contacting a vet, they may be able to prescribe some specific treatment to help your dog throughout the process.

It may be a hydration fluid to flush it out of the system.

It may be something like activated charcoal.

Sometimes, they may even induce vomiting.

But none of these are something you should ever attempt at home.

Besides, there is always the risk of your dog choking or other complications.

So, do contact a vet.

And in the meantime, and try to collect as much evidence as possible about what they have consumed.

If you are a little bit more informed, you can always use this quick and insightful dog chocolate toxicity calculator.

That will give you a better understanding.

It’s also great information to then provide to your vet.

And of course, from there, you need to monitor your dog closely.

Stay with them, and watch out for signs of chocolate poisoning.

These usually arise within 4-8 hours after your dog has eaten the brownie.

So, it does depend on when you find out about your dog’s consumption.

And you will need to keep a close eye for quite a while.

And here is what you need to look out for.

Chocolate poisoning in dogs can show itself in numerous ways, with the following symptoms commonly observed:

Diarrhea
Vomiting
Tremors
Elevated heart rate
Restlessness

In extreme cases, chocolate poisoning can result in seizures and collapses. In worst instances, death.

This is why you need to contact a vet or an expert at the earliest opportunity.

Do not delay.

The faster you react, the better.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Affect A Dog?

It generally takes as little as 4 hours for chocolate to begin affecting a dog. Although, complications can arise as long as 72 hours following consumption.

This is why it is so imperative to monitor your dog closely after any consumption.

Even if you think you are ‘out of the woods’ so to speak, you may well very not be.

It ultimately depends on how long it takes for your dog to digest the brownie/chocolate.

Generally, smaller, younger dogs or those with a higher metabolism will encounter issues before larger, older dogs.

But that’s not always the case.

How To Prevent Your Dog from Eating Brownies Again

It’s easy to sit there and think, ‘I should have done this, I should have done that’.

But in reality, these things happen.

You cannot blame yourself.

While you can control a lot of things; sometimes there is nothing you can do.

But you can put in place some strategies to help prevent this from happening in the future.

Some of these may sound obvious, but it is usually the little things that can keep your dog safe.

Keep Brownies Stored Away

In a safe, secure container that a dog, or child, cannot get access to or leave open.

Store these off the counter and in a locked cupboard, drawer, or even the fridge.

Monitor Kids Around Your Dog

Kids like to feed dogs. That’s just the way they are.

So you need to be careful if you have kids and offer them treats, such as brownies.

Dogs can also sense that a child is more forgiving when it comes to taking it from them. Or nicking it when they are not looking.

Clean Up Any Leftover and Uneaten Brownies

Another simple one, but like any food – when you’re finished, clear it up.

And clean it up properly.

Don’t just leave them on the side.

Dogs can jump, climb and be very innovative where food is concerned.

So store away safely, securely, or throw away properly.

And be sure your dogs cannot access the bins!

Finally

If your dog has eaten a brownie, don’t panic. But do be proactive.

While the fatal dose of chocolate is quite high in dogs, that does not mean that your dog would not be better off without intervention.

Besides, there are numerous different compounds and ingredients in brownies that could prove problematic.

For all sorts of different reasons.

One thing is for sure, brownies should not be a regular occurrence in the diet of your dog!