“Can dogs eat chocolate pop tarts?” It is a question that many people ask, especially those who have their dogs in their homes. Every pet owner wants to be answered with an emphatic “yes!” but the truth may be more complicated than that.
Dogs cannot eat everything that humans can and this includes chocolate pop tarts. While this kind of food will not kill your dog, there are some risks associated with them eating it.
So, Can Dogs Eat Chocolate Pop Tarts?
To start off, chocolate, in itself, is poisonous for dogs. It can lead to digestive issues if they eat too much of it. Some dogs even experience seizures as a result of too much chocolate. A little bit will not kill your dog, but a lot can do serious harm to her health and life.
Check out: Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?
A chocolate pop tart can also lead to several health issues for your dog if she eats too many of them. This type of food has sugar in it, and this is something that dogs cannot tolerate well at all. If your dog eats too much sugar, she may become diabetic as a result.
This article will cover these risks as well as the safe foods you can feed your dog instead of chocolate pop tarts. Read on!
Is Chocolate Pop-Tart Safe For Dogs?
No. Chocolate Pop-tarts are not safe for dogs to eat. The actual ingredients of chocolate pop tarts can cause various health problems for your dog. For example, chocolate contains certain preservatives and chemicals that are not good for dogs at all. They can make dogs sick and result in chocolate poisoning.
Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs
Cocoa and chocolate are toxic to pets on any level of exposure. Chocolate contains theobromine which is a xanthine alkaloid that blocks the activity of an enzyme in your dog’s body called phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4), blocking dopamine and norepinephrine levels in their brain. As more PDE-4 enzymes become blocked you can expect more side effects including increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, seizures, and death. Chocolate poisoning in dogs occurs most often when a low-moisture chocolate product is fed to the dog. This can include chocolate pudding, fudge, hot cocoa, or chocolate chip cookies.
Also, check out “Can Dogs Eat Chocolate Chip Cookies?”
Other symptoms of a chocolate overdose include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and difficulty breathing or walking. These can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. If you think your dog has ingested an excess of chocolate then call for help immediately. If you do this quickly enough, it may prevent your dog from suffering too many negative effects from eating chocolate.
You should always keep in mind that other ingredients in pop tarts can also be bad for dogs. They are full of preservatives, sugars, and chemicals that can be harmful to them.
Ingredients Of Pop-Tarts
The main ingredients in pop tarts are flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, brown sugar, tart shells (a type of pastry), baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. All of these ingredients are considered unhealthy for dogs to consume.
Furthermore, the ingredients actually found in chocolate pop tarts can be very bad for your dog’s health as well. These include cocoa powder, milk chocolate, chocolate flavored coating, butter fat, and lecithin (a type of fat). The list above only covers what is in there. You may see other things on the ingredients list that could be harmful or toxic for your dog to eat.
You should also avoid giving your dog any foods that have sugar in them at all. This includes the sweetened condensed milk that is used as the main ingredient in many types of pop tarts.
Can Dogs Eat Dog Pop Tarts?
No. Although made especially for dogs, dog pop tarts still contain too much sugar and caffeine, and there is nothing healthy about them at all. Food is supposed to be healthy and good for your dog. However, this is not the case with dog pop tarts, and you should avoid giving this food to your dog at all costs.
There are healthier treats that you can give your dog instead of these popsicles so she will not get sick from eating them.
What Can You Give Your Dog Instead Of Chocolate Pop-Tarts?
There are many foods out there that you can feed your dog instead of chocolate pop-tart. Milk bones are a great example of this. They have a taste that dogs enjoy, and your pup will not get any sicknesses from it.
There are several benefits of giving milk bones to dogs instead of chocolate pop tarts. For example, a dog can eat about two of these a day without getting sick or being harmed by them. They are also good for dogs’ teeth because they have calcium in them. This helps keep your dog’s teeth strong and healthy, which keeps the risk of dental issues low.
You will get a healthier dog as a result because she will eat healthier foods instead of popsicles filled with all kinds of unhealthy ingredients.
Every year in the US, around 10,000 pets end up in animal hospitals after eating chocolate and the majority of them are dogs. It’s not that humans completely ignore this fact: many chocolates list it as a main ingredient on their packaging. So, if you are out buying anything for your pooch, make sure you read the list of ingredients very carefully. For any snack that has chocolate listed on the label, you better avoid it completely.
Conclusion
Dogs cannot eat chocolate pop tarts. This kind of junk food can actually pose health risks for a dog if consumed in large quantities. Chocolate and sugar are two ingredients that can cause problems for a dog. Keep in mind, it’s best not to give your dog human food straight from the table. Always check with your vet before giving them pop-tarts, or any other human food for the first time.
Instead of chocolate pop tarts, you can give a plain pop tart to your dog occasionally. Find out all about it in our article “Can dogs eat pop tarts?”
Pop-tarts are also available in strawberry flavor and those can work as an occasional treat for your dog too. Read all about it in our article “Can dogs eat strawberry pop tart?”
Thank you for reading the article.
Now that you know why you should strictly avoid giving any chocolate flavored food to your dog, explore more on chocolates and dogs here.
Have you ever shared chocolate pop tarts with your dog? How did they react? Did they have digestive issues? We would love to hear from you. Please share with us by leaving a comment below!