Do not feed

Can dogs eat nutella and chocolate hazelnut spread?

Never feed it — but the danger is the fat, not the chocolate. At ~7.4% cocoa the theobromine is low; at 30% fat and 56% sugar a stolen jar is a genuine pancreatitis risk.

What to do

Estimate how much was eaten and check own-brand or sugar-free spreads for xylitol. Call a vet for a large amount, or for a breed prone to pancreatitis. Watch for two to three days.

Signs to watch for

vomiting
greasy diarrhoea
abdominal pain
hunched or praying posture
lethargy
fever

When: Digestive upset within 2–12 hours; pancreatitis over 24–72 hours.

Why

The cocoa content is too low for realistic theobromine toxicity — the fat would cause problems long before the theobromine did. A sudden large fat intake overstimulates the pancreas, which begins digesting itself. Hazelnut is also a common canine allergen.

How much matters

About 539 kcal per 100 g. A 400 g jar is roughly 2,150 kcal and 120 g of fat — more than three days of food for a 10 kg dog, and a substantial pancreatitis risk regardless of breed.

Never in this form

Sugar-free hazelnut spreads that may contain xylitol.

Also check for

xylitol in own-brand spreads
high fat
hazelnut allergy

How confident is this

established

Well established in the veterinary literature and consistent across sources.

USDA FoodData Central
Xenoulis PG. Diagnosis of pancreatitis in dogs and cats. J Small Anim Pract 2015;56(1):13-26.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

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Informational only, and not a substitute for veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and this page cannot account for your dog's age, size, health conditions or medication. If you are worried, phone a vet — that call is always the right call.