Is it true that if a dog eat's chocolate, they will die?

Answer 1

Chocolate & caffine poisoning is more common then most think. Cooking, baking, candy, landscaping (with cacao shells), white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate are all toxic to dogs (as well as other small mammels). Before you worry about your dog dying from chocolate, there are a few things you have to consider....
-what kind of chocolate the dog ate
-how much chocolate the dog ate
-how big the dog is
The type and amount of chocolate a dog eats compared to the weight of the dog is the only thing to consider. For instance, if a 100lbs dog ate a dark chocolate bar he'll have a little diarrhea and be "wired" for a few hours. But if a 10lbs dog ate the same chocolate bar, they could suffer from high blood pressure, irregular/fast heart beat, nervousness, excitement, tremors, seizures, and ultimately coma. Panting and urinary incontinence (pees everywhere withough control) are also possible. Death occurs within 6-24 hours with ACUTE exposure. With chronic ingestion (over several days), death may result from cardiac failure.
The stronger the chocolate, the higher it's toxicity level to dogs. Milk chocolate is somewhat toxic, while bakers chocolate (or fudge) is highly toxic. Death can occur with any size dog, it just depends on what type and how much they ate. Taking your dog to your veterinarian within 2 hours of eating chocolate will help emensely! They'll induce vomiting, give activated charcoal (to suck up the toxin), give fluids to rehydrate, and monitor your pup for any signs of chocolate toxicity.
I hope this clears up your question! :)

Answer 2

The different types of chocolate have different amounts of the chemical that can potentially cause harm to dogs. Milk chocolate being the one containing the least and bakers chocolate contains the most. The bigger the dog the more than consume without detrimental effects. I have never seen or heard from anyone that has known a dog to die from eating chocolate. The worst I have every seen is some diarrhea.

I don't have the chart with me that tells how much of each type is toxic by the animals weight, but a good sized lab could eat a large size bag of milk chocolate and be just fine - aside from maybe vomiting and diarrhea.

There are things much more toxic to them such as onions and raisins. So if you want to give your dog a Kiss (as long as it isn't a tea cup breed) it will be fine.

Answer 3

They can, yes - usually it'd have to be a big dose of it.. but none the less.

I was surprised when we took puppy class.. how many common foods can actually cause DEATH or major problems.. some permanent.. some temporary. But very few were temporary.

Human vitamins (specifically iron)
Grapes and raisins - toxin that can damage kidneys
Fat trimmings can cause pancreatitis
Lots of liver.. problem is VitaminA toxicity.
Macadamia nuts - affects nervous system, digestive, muscles
Milk and dairy - many adult dogs will have lactose problems
Chocolate - or any caffeine gets their heart and nervous systems.
Mushrooms, garlic, onions, pits from fruits, raw eggs or fish,
Alcohol - intoxication, coma, death.
Baby food can contain onion powder, can be toxic.

freaking everything.. and these are things that can have a big effect on dogs.. it's not just a little effect.

So in a nutshell? Stick to dog food! LOL That's what we do now. We do give her fruits and vegetables.. now that we know what is or is not good for dogs.

Answer 4

YES they can die from it. My dog ate a whole bag of oreos and was fine, but those aren't realy chocolate so ignore answers like that. If it were, lets say, to eat chocolate chips, it would likely die. It actually doesn't take very much for most dogs. They cannot digest it.

Answer 5

That's not true that a dog will die right after it eats chocolate. Most of the time the dog just gets a belly ache. It also depends on the age.

Answer 6

This girl in my school gave her dog a whole chocolate cake and he died. Obviously that was A LOT of chocolate. I'm sure if u give a little chocolate the dog will be fine. The best thing to do is not give ur dog any chocolate

Answer 7

I agree with "so 'they' say". Everything must be in moderation. We'd get extremely sick if we ate a ton of choclate on an empty stomach too. My dog's favorite treat is an oreo cookie and she has yet to get sick on them. Granted I don't give her 3, 4 or 5 at a time. But one every now and again......has yet to harm her.

They say the same with mushrooms, onions and raisons too. But again, have yet to see one die from them! (but I did know someone who's kid fed their chihuahua an entire LARGE box of raisons and it ended up needing it's stomach pumped).

Answer 8

Here... I found this for you. This is sound advice with no opinions mixed in for flavor...


"We've all heard it, "Don't give your dog chocolate it will kill him". We'll how true is it you're probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M's?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

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."

Answer 9

They won't die but they will get very sick unless we're talking lots & lots of chocolate. Like something I would eat...

Answer 10

No, my dog is approximately 11 years old and chocolate hasn't killed him yet. I've always heard that too much of it will give a dog worms though.