Is Nutella Poisonous to Dogs?

The kids are on a new lunch kick. They want me to send in these “snack wraps” that are made out of a flour tortilla which is then filled with peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and Nutella. Truth be told I only came up with it when I went to pack lunches one morning and found that we were out of bread. So I tried to put an international spin on things and push the wraps. Anyway, they bought it and they love them.

So yesterday they came home from school and asked for snacks. Naturally, I made a few wraps and passed them out. About ½ an hour later Zoe appeared in the kitchen holding a half chewed and kind of drooly looking wrap. “I found this on my floor,” she said with disgust.  “I think Sugar (the miniature schnauzer) got into it”.

Then Joe walked in. He really did used to love the dog. Seriously, when we first got her he was never without her, sometimes even carrying her in the pocket of his overalls while working outside. It was adorable. But now he doesn’t like her. I’m not sure what happened – he complains that she’s too fat and she’s always lurking around the kitchen (to which I take personal offense…) – but he’s just not that fond of her.

Let me preface this event by saying that I was about ¾ of the way into a pretty elaborate dinner preparation and I was very focused. As I was stirring something and sautéing something else, Zoe entered with her proclamation of blame on the dog. Joe took the half eaten wrap and was walking towards Sugar with it in a menacing way– not unlike walking towards a dog with a rolled up newspaper but, you know,  with Nutella. He was saying “SUGAR. Bad Dog. What did you do?”

As this point she came over to me because I am her protector from all things great and small. Whether it’s a feisty chicken or a thunderstorm, she can count on me to protect her. So she was huddled behind me while I was trying to tend to the stovetop and tell Joe to leave her alone.  At that point, Max entered the room and thrust the phone into my hands.  I answered the phone and it was my mother in law asking if I’ve had a chance to check my email and show the kids a new game she had sent.

A gal can only do so much. With the phone tucked under my chin I shifted things on the stovetop and turned to Joe. “Knock it off. She gets it, ok?”  But he loves to tease her and see her get upset so he continued to harangue her. My poor mother in law had to witness the whole mess on the phone. Zoe upset over the loss of her wrap, Joe harassing the dog and me trying desperately not to burn dinner. Max was probably up to something interesting as well but I didn’t have time to check.  Sometimes I just feel like one, big, flailing mess, you know?