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My 8kg dog just gobbled half a cup of plain salted potato chips within the last 15minutes and seems a bit restless—what should I do in the next hour?

Dogs · Food safety

Last reviewed: 2026-09-05 · Reference ranges: ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline & Merck Veterinary Manual

Short answer

It’s not an emergency, but act quickly. Remove any remaining chips and offer fresh water to help dilute the extra sodium. Watch for signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive panting over the next few hours, because the salt and fat can upset a dog’s stomach. If your 8kg dog develops any gastrointestinal signs or seems unusually lethargic, give your regular veterinarian a call for advice. Most dogs recover uneventfully once the salty snack is out of reach.

Chips / crisps — Food safety facts

Feed with care · Dogs · full breakdown on the linked food page

Salt, fat and usually onion or garlic powder. A single plain chip is not an emergency.

Dogs and cats carry the same rating (Feed with care), so the notes below hold for either pet.

Chips / crisps is not poisonous to dogs, but it is easy to over-feed. Rich fat, salt or seasoning can bring on vomiting or diarrhoea within a day, and repeated large portions are a recognised trigger for pancreatitis.

If it ate some before you noticed, watch for vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness or a painful, swollen abdomen over the next 24 hours. A one-off small amount in a healthy adult usually passes with water and rest; repeated exposure, a puppy or kitten, a senior, or a pet with an ongoing illness is a reason to call your vet the same day.

Why these cautions matter

Garlic and onion damage a pet's red blood cells and can bring on anaemia. Signs are often delayed for several days, so looking fine straight afterwards does not rule it out.

A heavy salt load drives up thirst and urination, and in the worst cases leads to sodium ion poisoning, which is a genuine emergency.

Rich, fatty food is the classic trigger for pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas that usually needs veterinary treatment rather than rest alone.

The full verdict, portion guidance and serving notes are collected on the Chips / crisps food facts page.

Open the full food page: Chips / crisps food facts →