There’s A Reason Why A Dog’s Paw Smells Like Corn Chips

Attention all dog people: we have the answers to a bunch of random dog questions you’ve probably been burning to ask someone. 

While we don’t have Dr Karl on hand to tell us why a dog’s paw smells like corn chips, we have Cosmos Magazine journalist Imma Perfetto and she has a doggy-bag full of information about our fur babies. 

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Firstly, let’s start by addressing the obvious question, why can’t our dogs eat chocolate? Well, according to Imma, it has everything to do with the way a dog’s system digests food. 

“It’s thanks to chemical compounds called Methylxanthines, caffeine and theobromine to be exact, which are found in cocoa,” she said. 

“When we humans consume them, our bodies easily digest and process them. But that just isn’t the case with dogs. And they can be poisonous.” 

While your dog chomping down a single piece of chocolate might not sound like the end of the world, Imma said it could be deadly. 

“The lethal dose of theobromine is reported to be from 100 to 500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight in dogs,” she said. 

“A ten-kilogram dog could reach the minimum reported lethal dose by scoffing just 50 grams of cooking chocolate and just ten grams can make them sick. That’s pretty scary.” 

So, we know that the rumours are true, chocolate might be delicious to humans but can be deadly to dogs. While this is undoubtedly interesting and potentially life-saving information, there’s even more fascinating facts about dogs out there. 

For instance, why does a dog’s paw smell like corn chips? Do dogs actually understand what we are saying? Why do dogs sleep with their eyes open? Imma answers all of these questions and more in this intriguing chat about playful pooches and all of their quirks. 

Put your thinking caps on, folks. Huh? Science Explained is here, the twice weekly podcast brought to you by LiSTNR and Cosmos. Hosted by Cosmos’ very own science journos, this is the podcast that will answer all of life’s questions – in just 10 minutes. Hear it on the LiSTNR app now.