My dog has eaten chocolate! What should I do?
Dogs and chocolate can be a lethal combination! If your dog has eaten chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately. If it’s late at night, call a 24 Hour Animal Hospital. You’ll need to provide them with the dogs weight, the symptoms your dog is showing and the type and quantity of chocolate you think the dog has eaten. There are specific reasons this information is essential– as we continue, you’ll understand exactly why.
Why is chocolate toxic to my dog?
There are two compounds in chocolate that are dangerous to dogs: theobromine and caffeine. Although both of those are toxic to dogs, we’ll just deal with theobromine, since it’s the predominant toxin and specific to chocolate.
How much chocolate is fatal to my dog?
When a dog eats chocolate, the toxicity level is based on three things: the amount of chocolate the dog ate; the type of chocolate the dog ate and the weight of the dog who ate the chocolate. In general, 50mg/lb of theobromine is considered to be a lethal dose– but different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine, so some types of chocolate are more harmful than others.
Here are the rough amounts of theobromine in the various types of chocolate:
- If your dog ate an ounce of white chocolate, he’s consumed about 1.1 mg of theobromine
- If your dog ate an ounce of milk chocolate, he’s consumed about 64 mg of theobromine
- If your dog ate an ounce of dark sweet chocolate, he’s consumed about 150 mg of theobromine
- If your dog ate an ounce of instant cocoa powder, he’s consumed abount 151 mg of theobromine
- If your dog ate an ounce of baking chocolate, he’s consumed about 440 mg of theobromine
- If your dog ate an ounce of dry cocoa powder, he’s consumed about 808 mg of theobromine
So a 10 lb Terrier could die from eating 7oz of milk chocolate, but it would take 3 lbs. of milk chocolate to bring down a 70 lb Labrador. What kind of chocolate, how much chocolate and the weight of the dog. All three pieces of information are essentail to evaluating the situation and determining the correct treatment.
An often overlooked but very common danger is a mulch that is made from cocoa bean shells– there is approximately 255 mg of theobromine per ounce of mulch so even a small amount could kill a large dog. If you have your yard landscaped, checking the content of the mulch your landscaper uses could save your dog’s life. Don’t feel safe if your mulch isn’t labeled as “Cocoa Bean Shell Mulch”– check the contents of the mulch.
What are the symptoms?
The first signs of theobromine poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination. Without immediate treatment, the symptoms can progress to cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death.
Preparing for “chocolate emergencies”
When a veterinarian gets a call from someone who thinks their dog ate chocolate, the most common advice given is to make the dog vomit (if he isn’t already). This tactic will keep as much theobromine as possible from entering the system while the vet evaluates the situation. In the past, a one-to-one solution of hydrogen peroxide and water has been used to induce vomiting, but more recently this treatment is being discouraged because it can also cause esophageal ulcers. The alternative is syrup of ipecac, which very effectively induces vomiting. Although it should not be used without the advice of a medical professional, every family should have syrup of ipecac on hand– particularly families with small children and dogs.
Remember: even if you think your dog has eaten chocolate or something that contains chocolate, treat the situation as if your dog’s life is on the line– because it very well may be.
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