Dogs and Chocolate

It seems that chocolate makes the world go around, and in almost every household you will find this delicious delicacy. Eating chocolate seems to be the great American pastime. It gives us a sense of well being and is a favorite comfort food. In over 60 percent of the homes that have this delicious treat available, you will also find a hungry and curious dog.

Unfortunately that combination does not mix well. So what can chocolate do to your dog, and why is it considered poison?

Dogs and puppies do not have the ability as we humans do to digest a simple chemical found in chocolate called "Theobromine." This chemical has a very harsh effect on the animal’s body causing severe trauma and oftentimes death.

How much chocolate is too much? It is important to know just how much chocolate can produce negative effects on your dog: that amount is 100-150 milligrams. That measurement does not mean much to most people, so to simplify it, if you have a 20-pound dog, that means to reach the level of becoming poisoned he or she would have to eat about 10 ounces, depending on the type of chocolate. Bakers chocolate and unsweetened chocolate are harsher types for any dog to eat only because the chocolate is purer therefore they contain a higher dosage of Theobromine than the regular candy bar type chocolate.

If you suspect your animal has eaten chocolate, what signs do you look for? Signs occur quickly so even if there is any question as to whether your animal has consumed chocolate or not, take the animal to the vet. Do not wait to see if the animal will be alright because any delay in treatment can be devastating. Your dog, if untreated, can quickly go into convulsions, have arrhythmia, stop breathing and go into a coma.

First your dog may start vomiting on its own. If not you can induce vomiting with a hydrogen peroxide solution of half peroxide and half water.

The animal will also experience severe diarrhea, which can cause the animal to dehydrate quickly.

Seek medical help immediately. Be sure to take the vet the unfinished chocolate if any is left and any wrappings from the chocolate. This will help the vet to identify the type of chocolate and the concentration of the candy.

The vet will begin treatment and induce vomiting if vomiting has not already occurred. Usually the vet will use activated charcoal to induce. The vet will also start an IV for hydration and also to administer medication. The vet will also administer anti-seizure medication because animals that have ingested chocolate have a ninety eight percent chance of having severe seizures. If your animal is having extreme symptoms or cardiac problems, he or she will easily be able to give those cardiac medications through the IV. The stay after this treatment in an easy case is usually two days, although in more extreme instances the hospital stay for your animal could be weeks.

The best medicine in these cases is prevention. If sweets such as chocolate are a frequent snack in your household take care to remove them from anywhere your pet happens to be traveling in your home. An ounce of prevention is in this case, worth a pound of cure.