White chocolate is a sweet food material made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, usually to the exclusion of cocoa solids. It is generally less rich than dark chocolate and may contain milk products such as milk solids and whole milk powder.
If you’re a dog owner and you’ve ever asked yourself if dogs can eat white chocolate, come no further. This article will answer your burning question on whether or not your furry friends can partake in the sweet confectionary of terror.
No, dogs cannot eat white chocolate. Although it does not contain any caffeine and doesn’t have any stimulants in it like vanilla extract or artificial flavors either which are found in many other chocolates, white chocolate still contains cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, vanilla which dogs can’t digest properly. White chocolate provides no nutritional value to dogs and can actually be harmful if eaten in large amounts. It can cause a digestive upset as well as diarrhea, vomiting, and even hyperactivity.
Before we move on with a detailed answer, let’s start with a short introduction to white chocolate.
About White Chocolate
White chocolate consists of cocoa butter that has been congealed by heat with sugar or sweeteners such as honey or corn syrup. The milk solids and milk powder are added to increase the viscosity of the material. This addition helps control the texture of the product. The final white chocolate can contain various additives that are used to give it various qualities such as emulsifying agents, stabilizers, coloring agents, preservatives, and flavorings.
The total solid content of white chocolate ranges from about 45 – 60%. The fat content is about 36%. Soluble sweeteners make up the remaining 4% or so total solid content. Soluble starches make up 2%, other sugars 1% which is very small compared to dark chocolate containing 47 – 82% solid contents.
You might also be interested in “Can Dogs Eat Dark Chocolate?”
Can Dogs Eat White Chocolate?
Perhaps not surprisingly, the answer is no. Dogs cannot eat white chocolate. While it might be tempting to share your favorite confection with your dog when they’re a good boy or girl, white chocolate—even though it might not contain any cocoa—is a trickier proposition.
This isn’t because of the ingredients themselves, but rather their preparation. The white cocoa used in most white chocolate is made from the outer soy hull of cocoa beans. While this does create a very smooth and creamy confection, it needs to be mixed with milk and sugar before it’s shaped into candy. Humans can handle the mixture, but dogs cannot digest milk and sugar, both individually and mix together.
White chocolate is NOT considered an X-Restricted substance under the pet poison control hotline; however, common sense should play a major factor when it comes to determining whether or not your pet can safely consume white chocolate.
Effects Of White Chocolate on Dogs
Cocoa butter contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.
Theobromine poisoning occurs when a dog eats more than one ounce of white chocolate in a single sitting. Signs that your dog has been poisoned from eating white chocolate include vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and breathing rates. If you think your dog has ingested too much white chocolate or any other food that they are not supposed to have consumed under any circumstances, contact the vet immediately.
Milk chocolate or white chocolate can also make your dog’s digestive system worse since they have milk which dogs cannot digest well if they have an upset stomach or diarrhea. It will make them sicker faster. White chocolates also have sugar which can lead to more gas and diarrhea too if your dog eats too much of it.
Also, check out: “Can Dogs Eat Milk Chocolate?”
Can Dogs Eat White Chocolate Flavored Products?
No. Dogs can’t eat white chocolate-flavored products.
As a food material, white chocolate can be used in a wide variety of products from ice cream, chocolates, and cakes to cookies and other desserts. Since it is made from cocoa butter it has a strong flavor or aroma when exposed to heat, hence it would be necessary for a recipe in which white chocolate is used to add a flavoring agent in order to impart a pleasant aroma and taste to the final product. But remember, white chocolate, along with all the flavored products is equally dangerous for canines.
Conclusion
Dogs can’t eat white chocolate. It is made from cocoa butter, which means it can be toxic to dogs if they eat enough of it. With the high-fat content that white chocolates contain comes a higher risk for gastrointestinal issues as well as pancreatitis in dogs. If your dog has eaten some white chocolate and you’re worried, see your veterinarian immediately.
Thank you for reading the article.
There are many different types of chocolate, so be sure to read our article “Can dogs eat chocolate?” before giving your dog any. Find out more about other chocolate-related dog articles that you might be interested in here.
Has your dog mistakenly eaten white chocolate? How did they react? Did the chocolate make them hospitalized? We would love to hear from you. Please share with us by leaving a comment below!