Have you ever walked into the kitchen and noticed your dog huddled in a corner, looking at you with guilt in their eyes? After surveying the kitchen, you see a packet of dog treats on the floor, and it’s empty.
Your dog has eaten an entire packet of treats, and now they are acting strange. Unfortunately, dogs enjoy treats, and if the treats are left on a counter that is within their reach, they will attempt to devour the whole bag. Overeating is not good for dogs as it can lead to canine bloat. And too many treats can be hazardous for them because of the salt and sugar content.
Let’s take a closer look at what happens when your dog eats a whole bag of treats and what steps you need to take next.
What Happens If a Dog Eats a Whole Bag of Treats?
When dogs eat a whole bag of treats, they experience various unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, and loss of appetite. If your dog hasn’t vomited within about half an hour after eating the treats, it’s likely they won’t vomit at all and will be fine.
Here’s a closer look at what would happen if your dog ate a whole bag of treats:
Uncomfortable Bloating
If your dog has overindulged in a bag of tasty treats, they can experience a condition known as food bloat. This happens when a dog eats a large amount of food in a very short amount of time (also known as gulping).
The treats and air will expand in their stomach, causing their stomach to swell abnormally, which causes pain and discomfort for your dog.
Here’s a look at how much food a dog would have to consume to cause food bloat:
- Small dogs such as a Jack Russel would bloat from eating 2-3 times their regular food intake
- Large dogs such as a Labrador would bloat from 3-5 times their regular food intake
Excessive Panting
Dogs get very excited when it comes to treats. If they can gobble down a whole bag, they tend to do this as fast as possible, as they don’t want their owners to catch them and take the treats away.
As a result of the frantic eating, which also causes stomach swelling, your dog will start panting to try and cool themselves down and deal with the discomfort or pain. Excessive panting followed by drooling may indicate that your dog wants to vomit.
Starts Eating Grass
If your dog has overeaten and is experiencing bloating, or they are simply just feeling ill from the treats, you may notice them go into the garden and start eating grass. Your dog may start retching or heaving after eating the grass.
The roughage from the grass encourages bowel movement and is a deliberate way for them to induce vomiting. This is your doggo’s natural way of trying to soothe and get rid of something that has upset their stomach.
Seems Sluggish
After eating a whole bag of treats, it’s understandable that your dog will appear sluggish. All that food has gone straight to their tummy, and it could be causing stomach cramps and bloating. Your doggo will not be in the mood to play fetch or run around the garden.
Your dog’s digestive system is also under a lot of strain to try and digest all of these treats, which means your dog will be lying down most of the time or will seem lazy while digestion takes place.
Excessive Vomiting or Diarrhea
There is a reason why treats are to be given in moderation, as they often contain increased amounts of sugar and salt. When your dog eats too many treats, their body and digestive system may reject the overload.
This can lead to excessive vomiting and diarrhea. If this is left untreated, it can lead to a severe condition known as GDV (gastric dilatation-volvulus), which can cause the stomach to rotate and block the entrance and exit of the stomach. If this happens, your dog will need urgent veterinary attention and may even require surgery.
What to Do If a Dog Eats a Whole Bag of Treats?
When your dog eats a whole bag of treats, it’s essential to check what type of treats they have ingested to help assess what symptoms they may experience. Make sure they drink small sips of water. If your dog starts vomiting continuously or experiencing diarrhea, it’s always best to seek veterinary advice.
Let’s take a look at some steps you can take once your dog has eaten a whole bag of treats:
Keep a Close Eye on Your Dog
Eating a whole bag of treats can be hazardous for your doggo. You must keep a close eye on them to ensure they don’t develop any serious symptoms such as excessive vomiting or loose, watery stool.
If your vet has prescribed medication for your dog, you will also need to monitor their response to the medication.
Contact Your Vet
If your dog develops any severe symptoms, such as continuous vomiting or diarrhea, it’s crucial that you take them to the vet as soon as possible. Continuous vomiting or severe diarrhea results in dehydration, which is life-threatening.
Besides dehydration, your doggo can also develop GDV, which is a serious condition that can result in surgery or death.
Keep these details in mind when contacting your vet:
- When did your dog eat the whole bag of treats?
- Is your dog a small or large breed?
- What symptoms is your dog displaying?
- What type or brand of treats has your dog eaten?
Offer Water
As mentioned before, treats have higher levels of sugar and salt, making your dog thirsty (especially after eating a whole bag of treats). Give your doggo some water to try and wash down the treats and quench their thirst.
However, it would be best if you didn’t overdo this as the water can cause their stomach to bloat further, which can cause even more discomfort and pain. Instead, offer your dog small sips of water.
Provide a Bland Diet
Don’t offer your dog food for at least 3 hours after they have eaten the whole bag of treats. Providing a bland diet will relieve the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. Once they are ready to eat again, slowly introduce them to a diet of bland food, such as:
- Dry dog pellets
- Cooked white rice
- Boiled hamburger patty
- Boiled chicken (ground meat or cubed)
- Mashed sweet potato
Top Tip: If your doggo is experiencing severe diarrhea, give them a spoonful of pumpkin paste every 3-4 hours. Pumpkin is a superfood for dogs, and its high soluble fiber content is great for their digestion. Pumpkin also adds bulk to their stool, which reduces diarrhea.
