Scooby Snacks Wouldn't Be As Delicious In Real Life As They Sound

Not sure if I'm dating myself here, but when I was growing up, I used to watch Saturday-morning cartoons regularly, one of which was "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" One of the powerful (and notoriously reliable) tools the gang of Velma, Fred, Daphne uses to convince their fellow team members Shaggy and the eponymous Scooby-Doo to get into riskier hijinks is the promise of Scooby Snacks, a mysterious treat that could seemingly get the two companions to do nearly anything. A treat compelling enough to convince you to put yourself in harm's way must be delicious; after all, who'd want to chase after a monster under typical circumstances? 

But it turns out that the actual recipe for the Scooby Snacks themselves, which is revealed in one particular depiction of the Mystery Incorporated gang's hijinks, might not be so palatable under real-life circumstances, unless you like to mix dog food into your cookies. And oddly enough, it's a recipe you wouldn't want to feed any actual dog for a very specific and concerning reason — there's cocoa in it.

The "Scooby-Doo" franchise has spawned many shows and even movies, some made for the big screen and some for the small one. In one particular made-for-TV movie, "Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins," the suspiciously stoner-esque character Shaggy reveals that his homemade recipe for Scooby Snacks is "eggs, water, flour, cocoa, sugar, and a little dog kibble for texture." (I verified this fact by searching through the movie myself, which I cannot say I recommend in terms of cinematic masterpieces.)

Shaggy feeds these treats to Fred and Velma, who wholeheartedly enjoy them at first, until Shaggy reveals what's in them, upon which they spit them out. It's a raucously side-splitting scene that I'm surprised wasn't nominated for any awards.

What's more than a little odd about this recipe isn't just that there's dog kibble in it but also the fact that one of its flavoring ingredients is cocoa, which is notoriously toxic for dogs. Cocoa powder contains theobromine, a substance related to caffeine, and a certain amount can actually kill your pet. This is why it's extraordinarily important for you to keep chocolate away from them. The toxic effects of chocolate consumption can manifest themselves after a dog consumes just 9 milligrams of theobromine per pound of its own body weight, and some of the issues that can occur include vomiting, diarrhea, ataxia (a drunken gait), and rapid breathing. If you've found any evidence of your dog having eaten chocolate, it's best to consult a veterinary professional immediately, as your pet can become severely ill if left untreated.

Considering Scooby-Doo is Shaggy's best friend, you'd have thought he'd be a little more mindful of what treats he's been sneaking his pal. But some versions of Scooby Snacks in the show do appear to be manufactured. In fact, Episode 10 of Season 2 of "What's New Scooby Doo?" actually takes place in the official Scooby Snacks (spelled "Snax" here) factory, where I'm sure the product safety rules are much more stringent. Because, as we all know, cartoon food factories abide by all the rules and guidelines industries do in real life. Right? Right.

That being said, real-life licensed Scooby Snacks for dogs (and humans, but not interchangeably) have existed before, including Snausages-brand dog treats and Keebler-brand people snacks. Oh, no, gang, look out, here comes the monster, who I'm sure can't be the costumed chief of police of the town you're trying to save; better start downing those Scooby Snacks! Just don't feed Scooby-Doo the ones that have chocolate in them!