1300 564 799
Dogs and chocolate toxicity
Delicious to human but toxic to dogs, chocolate is toxic to dogs and other pets at certain doses. Chocolate poisoning is a problem that occurs mainly in dogs but also occurs occasionally in cats or other animals.
Chocolate Poisoning
Delicious to human but toxic to dogs, chocolate is toxic to dogs and other pets at certain doses. Chocolate poisoning is a problem that occurs mainly in dogs but also occurs occasionally in cats or other animals.
Cocoa beans contain Theobromine. The amount of Theobromine found in chocolate is small enough such that chocolate can be safely consumed by humans with a negligible risk of poisoning. However metabolism of theobromine from chocolate and cocoa is slow in the dog compared to their owners.
The Symptoms Include:
- Diarrhoea
- Increased heart rate
- Restlessness
- Vomiting
- Increased urination
- Muscle tremors
- Severe intoxication, seizures, cardiac arrest and death could occur.
How Much is Too Much?
Ideally, your dog should never consume chocolate. A dose of less than 30ml of milk chocolate per pound of body weight could potentially cause death. Less than 3 grams of baking chocolate per pound of body weight could be lethal, and less than 2 grams of cocoa per pound of body weight could be toxic. Usually the more bitter the chocolate, the higher the level of theobromine.
What to Do If Your Dog Ate Chocolate?
If your pet consumed the chocolate less than two hours ago, your veterinarian may induce vomiting and give several doses of activated charcoal, which works to move the toxins out of the body without being absorbed into the bloodstream.
For more severe cases, veterinary intervention may be needed to provide supplemental treatment, such as medications or IV fluids, to resolve the effects of the poisoning. Dogs suffering from seizures may need to be monitored at the clinic overnight.