ANSWERS: 26
  • There is a substance in chocolate called theobromine which poisons the dog and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other abdominal issues. Dogs take longer to digest chocolate so you may not see symptoms right away. Overconsumption of theobromine can lead to epileptic fits, shock and possibly death. With this in mind, however, it's important to note that different chocolates contain different levels of theobromine, with white chocolate being the least and dark chocolate (think Belgian chocolates) containing the most. (See below for a chart.) If Fido picks up a Milky Way from the floor and munches on it - and happens to be a 100lb Labrador - you're probably OK. A smaller dog might get sick or even die depending on the concentration of theobromine in a small chocolate, but a larger dog may be all right. For gardeners, reconstituted cocoa bean shells are available as mulch and while they smell great, if you have dogs or wandering neighbourhood dogs you may want to rethink your purchase of these items in the interest of general canine health. -- Types of Chocolate ---------------------------- The different forms of chocolate and its by-products contain different amounts of theobromine. The following list is in decreasing order of quantities of theobromine: Cocoa Beans Cocoa Powder Plain (Dark) Chocolate Milk Chocolate Drinking Chocolate (Powder) White Chocolate (list from http://www.supervet.co.uk/dog/chocolate.html)
  • When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhoea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. After their pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours. Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell. Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the dog, the less it needs to eat. Also, be aware... Onions and garlic are other dangerous food ingredients that cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger. Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. At first, pets affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhoea. They will show no interest in food and will be dull and weak. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected animal’s urine and it becomes breathless. The breathlessness occurs because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number. The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness. Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. A single meal of 600 to 800 grams of raw onion can be dangerous whereas a ten-kilogram dog, fed 150 grams of onion for several days, is also likely to develop anaemia. The condition improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness. The danger of macadamia nuts Macadamia nuts are another concern. A recent paper written by Dr. Ross McKenzie, a Veterinary Pathologist with the Department of Primary Industries, points to the danger of raw and roasted macadamia nuts for pets. The toxic compound is unknown but the affect of macadamia nuts is to cause locomotory difficulties. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. Dogs have been affected by eating as few as six macadamia kernels (nuts without the shell) while others had eaten approximately forty kernels. Some dogs had also been given macadamia butter. Luckily, the muscle weakness, while painful, seems to be of short duration and all dogs recovered from the toxicity. All dogs were taken to their veterinary surgeon. ***Pets owners should not assume that human food is always safe for pets. When it comes to chocolate, onions, garlic and macadamia nuts, such foods should be given in only small quantities, or not at all. Be sure that your pets can’t get into your stash of chocolates, that food scraps are disposed of carefully to prevent onion and garlic toxicity and that your dog is prevented from picking up macadamia nuts if you have a tree in your garden.*** *Other potential dangers Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide posioning) Potato peelings and green looking potatoes Rhubarb leaves Mouldy/spoiled foods Alcohol Yeast dough Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine) Hops (used in home brewing) Tomato leaves & stems (green parts) Broccoli (in large amounts) Raisins and grapes Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars
  • My dog got very sick from eating chocolate and yes she almost died. Although mine was saved by three different needles, she will not be saved every time. The dogs system (Depending on size and breed and weight) can only take a limit of chocolate. A big dog can take less because they dont have as much reaction.
  • It really messes with their digestive system. I have heard of stories of dogs eating chocolate and surviving, but I would never give it to one.
  • Yes chocolate in large quantities can kill a dog. a few bites, few m&m's maybe wont..but say a lb of the stuff can kill :)
  • Toxic Levels The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration. On average, Milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per oz. Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg/oz. Baker's chocolate 390mg/oz. Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as: 1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate 1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate 1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate. So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker's chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems. Clinical Signs Xanthines affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs: Hyper excitability Hyper irritability Increased heart rate Restlessness Increased urination Muscle tremors Vomiting Diarrhea Treatment There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart. Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration. If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the the proper treatment for your pet. http://tinyurl.com/b3vw4
  • Be safe, and never give any animal chocolate. It can also be toxic to cats.
  • It certainly is not good for them although most of them like humans like chocolate. it will not kill them unless eaten in very large quantities but it will affect their health in many adverse ways. Obesity is one of the minor side effects, digestive problems and heart trouble are just a couple more. Vomiting and bowel problems are nasty side effects too.
  • I've answered this question before on here but I can't find the one with my answer. Here are other duplicates with good answers: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/513675 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/84693 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/305476 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/271483 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/219495 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/582184 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/457 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/7586 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/146794 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/129497
  • Chocolate contains a chemical which can be toxic to dogs. The amount of this chemical is higher in dark chocolate than milk. The size of the dog determines roughly how much chocolate would harm him/her. You can find more information here http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOGS/chocolatetoxic.HTM
  • It could. My 80# poddle ate about 8 oz of dark chocolate covered expresso beans. Its funny now, but he was so nervous. He would circle over and over and then lay down. Get up a circle again and again. His eyes looked like he was saying "help me". It was a good thing he was so large.
  • Good Q
  • My 50 pound pit bull, 1 year 3 months old, ate a whole bag of milk chocolate a week ago, foil eggs and all! (About 50 oz's) She did not show any symptoms the following day - I gave her more food to help digest it faster and some milk to coat her stomach. About 5 days later she started having diarrhoea. On the 7th day I noticed blood in the stools, which arn't that hard. She vomited once after eating the chocolate a week ago. I hope she'll be fine. She's tough Anymore suggestions / tips let me know please Cody
  • Why wasn't this dog taken to a vet? All this information is nice to have after the fact or before but once more why - not - go - to - a - vet ???
  • Not sure about dogs, but I lost a cat to it. I'd brought home a tray of left over chocolate frosted doughnuts from work. Overnight, one of our cats got the plastic wrap off the tray and licked the frosting off all the doughnuts. The next day her lungs started to fill with fluid and she slowly drowned, despite our vets best efforts to save her.
  • No amount of chocolate is safe for a dog to have and enough can kill them. So its not wise to give them any if you value their life. I actually know a girl who's dog died from eating to much of it!
  • My uncle's 4 yr old weimeriner,got into my aunt's homemade chocolate christmas candy and ate 2 lbs! my uncle was sick hoping the dog would not die. my aunt on the other hand what threatening to speed up the process by shooting,in her words " that goddamn dog"... the dog however lived to the ripe old age of 15 ,but never ate chocolate again(and always kept his distance from my aunt)
  • Yes. It makes their heart race at an unhealthy speed. ~+~
  • From eating to much of it yes But to much, can count as a very little amount
  • yes. chocolate is toxic to dogs.
  • yes cuss chocolate is poison to them
  • Yeah.. I catch her eatin' my Snickers bar I'll kill her yo...;)
  • Yes it can there poison in it
  • They wont die after having a small piece of it...but large amount of chocolate can cause poisoning..and long term feeding will result in health problems...best idea is keep it of the menu,but i know people who give their dog a small piece on a nd off time..and that should be safe...
  • I'm not a vet ; BUT from what I read ..a CONSIDERABLE ammount would have to be injested to kill them ... almost half of their weight . I have a 64 pound Pit Bulll Terrier and I give him a pinch or two from my candy bar or cake etc ..and he does not get sick etc ... I believe it is like anything ..do it within REASON and Common Sense and you'll be OK ..
  • Ye, yes, yes, Please do not feed them that.

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