Can cats eat chocolate ice cream? My cat ate chocolate ice cream What should I do if my cat ate chocolate ice cream? All these are valid questions from cat owners who value their cat’s health.
There are foods and junk we humans consume that could hurt our cats if they partook; onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, Takis, buffalo wings, chocolate, and even dairy products. If you are not aware of what your cat should eat or not, you’re likely to give fluffy a bad treat which could lead to a vet visit.
Some ice creams are made with artificial sweeteners which contain xylitol, xylitol can cause low blood sugar as they cause the cat’s body to release insulin suddenly–leading to low blood sugar. Xylitol can also cause kidney failure in cats which is why your cat shouldn’t eat chocolate ice cream.
In this article, you will understand why chocolate bars and chocolate ice cream are bad for your cats, and you’ll learn about tastier treats that you could offer them instead.
Table of Contents
- Can cats eat chocolate?
- Can cats eat chocolate ice cream?
- My Cat ate chocolate ice cream – Is it Safe?
- What should I do if my cat licks chocolate ice cream?
- How much chocolate is toxic to cats?
- What Are Some Alternative Foods to Chocolate Ice Cream for Cats?
- Final Thoughts
Can cats eat chocolate?
No, chocolate or its derivatives are toxic to cats, they contain caffeine and theobromine, which will be toxic to your cats if they consume large quantities. Unlike humans, a cat’s body absorbs theobromine much slower. This means; toxicity in every bite, While caffeine will stimulate a cat more than it would a human, making it a wrong choice for cats.
Dogs are more susceptible to chocolate poisoning, more than cats. For a hundred calls received by the vets about chocolate poisoning, dogs account for 95 percent. This doesn’t mean cats are any less susceptible to chocolate poisoning.
Chocolate could lead to death for your cat if they don’t get early attention, and It could lead to other severe symptoms. You may not notice any symptoms at first, it is always best to call your vet, as soon as you notice your cat has had some chocolate.
Can cats eat chocolate ice cream?
No, chocolate ice cream in small quantities will only make your cat ill for a short while, but it is generally bad for your cat. Asides from caffeine and theobromine, it also contains lactose, sugar, and propylene glycol–which are bad for your cat.
If your cat ate mint chocolate chip ice cream, they will experience the same symptoms of theobromine and caffeine poisoning, but the mint available is almost like catnip to the cat, and won’t hurt your cat, except consumed in a large quantity.
Signs of chocolate poisoning in cats include:
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Coma
- Tremors
- Restlessness
- Loss of appetite
- Heightened urination and thirst
- Increased heart rates
Can my cat die from eating chocolate ice cream? Yes, your cat could die from eating chocolate ice cream, but this is dependent on the amount of chocolate consumed and the size of your cat. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning advance quickly if left unattended.
My Cat ate chocolate ice cream – Is it Safe?
I am a die-hard fan of chocolate ice creams, I learned how to make different varieties of this irresistible ice cream. Chocolate ice cream is a mixture of cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla cream, and sugar, depending on the taste you want to achieve, cocoa liquor can be added.
Vanilla extract is great for making cats stop fighting, but they are not good for cats in large quantities, since they contain ethanol–which is bad for cats. Also, chocolate ice cream contains cocoa powder which has the main ingredient we are trying to avoid.
It is not safe if your cat ate chocolate ice cream–chocolate ice cream and all ice creams contain propylene glycol, which is used as a safe anti-freeze in ice cream, it prevents the ice cream from forming crystals. Although safe for humans, it is not safe for your cat, propylene glycol has since been Discontinued from cat foods, as cats have high sensitivity to it. Poisoning can occur if consumed in large quantities.
What should I do if my cat licks chocolate ice cream?
If your cat ate chocolate ice cream, or your cat ate mint chocolate chip ice cream don’t try any heroic stunts at home, it is best to allow professionals to handle the situation. Most people will give their cats things that can induce vomit–in a bid for the cat to throw up what they have eaten. You may only be complicating the cat’s situation, the only thing you should do is what your vet instructs you to. Call your vet!
Get the following information ready
- How long ago your cat ate chocolate ice cream
- The name(having the wrappers comes in handy) of the ice cream ingested by your cat
- If your cat ate chocolate ice cream, what amount did he consume?
- Also, give in detail, all symptoms you have noticed.
To help your cat get rid of these chocolate ice cream, administering hydrogen peroxide can make the cat throw up, getting a cat to take some hydrogen peroxide can be such a task–which means; you may be needing to make use of a syringe–which you may not know how to use, this is why it’s best to leave it for the vets.
How vets treat chocolate ice cream toxicity in cats
If your cat ate chocolate ice cream, the vet would carry out the following treatments:
- Induce vomit
It is very hard to get cats to vomit, even with medications made for the purpose, but the first thing your vet will likely do is to get out as much chocolate ice cream as possible–from your cat’s stomach.
This method is only effective if done promptly, the vet syringes a little mixture of hydrogen peroxide through the cat’s mouth, this will make the cat feel sick and puke the chocolate ice cream it ate.
- Activated charcoal
This charcoal is only used when the vet failed to get the cat to vomit, activated charcoal will be given to your cat to bind the toxins. The lesser the toxins absorbed, the better for your cat.
- Hospitalize the cat
For cats who already show severe symptoms of chocolate ice cream poisoning, hospitalization is what would take place–during which the vet use medications that will sort the particular symptoms shown by the cat(arrhythmias for the cat’s heart, then tremors are sorted with anti-seizures). Finally, to help your cat excrete the toxins faster and to support the blood pressure and heart, fluid therapy will be used.
How much chocolate is toxic to cats?
If the theobromine is about 200mg/ kilogram of your cat, toxicity is said to have occurred. White chocolate poses no threat to your cat, but baking, dark, semisweet, and milk in varying portions can cause toxicity to cats.
Chart of chocolate poisoning in cats
| Chocolate
Type | Amount that could be toxic to your cat |
| Dark & semisweet | 0.5 oz |
| Baking | 0.2 oz |
| Milk | 1.14oz |
| White | possess no threat |
What Are Some Alternative Foods to Chocolate Ice Cream for Cats?
In deciding the best treatment for your feline friend, you shouldn’t be looking out for sweet treats– even when you feel better if you provide a sweet alternative. You should know that; your cat doesn’t taste sugar, because of their physiological makeup as meat eaters.
Ice cubes: ice cubes are one of the best play buddies for your cat. Just add some cubes from your fridge into his water bowl and watch how your cat sizzles in pure ecstasy. Although it’s not ice cream, it still has ice in it right? Yeah! It’s also cost-effective and doesn’t cost you an extra fee.
Pumpkin treats: if you’re like me who likes to know what ingredients are present in my pet’s foods, you may want to prepare some delicious homemade pumpkin treats for your lovely cat.
Making a roasted pumpkin treat
Roasted pumpkin is one of the best treats you can use as a substitute for chocolate ice cream for your cat. The great thing is you can serve them an unlimited number of times.
- Get a cup of pumpkin
- Preheat your oven to 325°
- Oil your baking sheet, pour your pumpkin seeds on it and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, make sure you flip every 7 minutes.
- When it’s ready, allow it to cool down, then you and your cat can enjoy some Netflix(salt yours if you want, don’t salt the cat’s own).
What other foods are toxic to cats?
If you’re not sure about what to feed your cat or not, you should invest in cat-specific foods. Being a pet owner is not just about forking out money and paying for its adoption, it indulges your responsibility in taking care of your cat’s coat, teeth, and bodily health in general. What you feed your cat is the first defense to sickness and also the first loophole to sickness.
Some human-grade foods and some foods laying around in our homes and pantry are not good for your pet. Let’s analyze those:
- Tuna
Tuna and all fish, in general, are cats’ favorites. I have seen situations where cats made their owners feed them only chicken or fish diet–this is a bad idea, as your cat needs taurine which may be sufficient in a chicken-only diet, but it shows you how much cats love fish.
Tuna is bad for cats when served in little quantities. However, continuous and increased quantities can lead to mercury poisoning.
- Raw dough
Raise your hand if you don’t go a week without baking some cookies, treats, or junk of some sort ( those are my hands in the air) I know you might love to bake like me, and you know the baking ritual of tasting some dough, to see if the ingredients are adequate.
All these could be fun up until the point where you’ll let your cat eat some raw dough- this dough goes into the cat’s stomach and start rising, leading to bloating and intestinal blockage. Just as terrible as letting your cat eat some ice cream.
- Grapes and raisins
It is not certain the particular content in grapes and raisins that causes so much lethal damage to our cats, just like chocolates, grapes cause death to cats, especially the dried fruits found in cakes. Within 24 – 78 hours of consuming grapes, a cat can suffer kidney failure. Ensure you don’t give your cats grapes or raising, or chocolate ice creams.
Final Thoughts
Ensure you feed your cat in the most healthy way you can, there are numerous healthy treats you can provide your cat instead of giving the kitten chocolate ice cream.
Chocolate ice cream will send your cat to the vet, take all precautionary measures to ensure they do not consume chocolate bars or ice cream.
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