is chocalate bad for dogs?

Answer 1

Yes, the cocoa can't be procesed in their body and if they get enough of it they can develop digestive or blood chemistry disorders or even die.

Answer 2

Chocolate is very bad for dogs even for cats as well. My dog is a cocker spaniel and over the years she has eaten a great deal of chocolate. Basically from christmas and easter holidays where she sneaks into the good stuff. I knew that chocolate is bad for dogs but never worried about because it never seemed to affect her. But I had recently taking her to the vet for a full check up and she has a great deal of liver damage. And her liver could easily fail from eating the wrong thing. So now I'm very stict with her, she doesn't get tables scrapes and when there is candy, chocolate or anything like that I make SURE that is NOT in her reach in anyway. I just wish that I would have had a checkup on her long before her liver got this bad.

Answer 3

Source: http://tafkac.org/animals/chocolate_and_dogs.html

"It is not chocolate itself that is poisonous to dogs, it is the theobromine, a naturally occuring compound found in chocolate. Theobromine causes different reactions to different dogs: dogs with health problems, especially epilepsy, are more affected by theobromine than healthy dogs. Theobromine can trigger epileptic seizures in dogs prone to or at risk of epilepsy. The size of the dog will also be a major factor: the smaller the dog, the more affected it is by the same amount than a larger dog. Therefore, toxicity is described on a mg/Kg basis.

Furthermore, theobromine can cause cardiac irregularity, especially if the dog becomes excited. Cardiac arythmia can precipitate a myocardial infarct which can kill the dog.

Theobromine also irritates the GI tract and in some dogs can cause internal bleeding which in some cases kills them a day or so later.

Theobromine is also present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate. milk chocolate has 44-66 mg/oz, dark chocolate 450 mg/oz and baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600 mg/oz. How much chocolate a dog can survive depends on its weight (and other unknown circumstances). Under 200 mg theobromine per kg body weight no deaths have been observed.

Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. It goes back into the bloodstream through the stomach lining and takes a long time for the body to filter out. Because theobromine is eliminated through the liver rather than through the kidneys, it takes a long time to eliminate it.

Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing vomiting unless your dog is markedly stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag reflex. If your dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any of the above symptoms, take it to the vet without delay.

In the absence of major symptoms, administer activated charcoal. The unabsorbed theobromine will chemically bond to this and be eliminated in the feces. Burnt (as in thoroughly burnt, crumbling in hand) toast will do. "

Answer 4

As the previous poster said, it's dark chocolate that can really do damage. If a dog at a box of Whitman's filled chocolates, other than have a hug sugar high, they would not get sick because of the small amount of chocolate.

However, if they ate a box of solid dark chocolate, that would make them very ill or possibly kill them.

So chocolate chip cookies, or a piece of your Hershey bar won't hurt your dog. I've given all my dogs little tastes of chocolate, and this dog is 12, and the last one lived to be 15.

Just be careful around Christmas or Easter when there's lots of candy sitting out.

Answer 5

All chocalate is bad for dogs, but bakers choc. is the notrious killer. Regular choc. normally just ends up with an upset belly. My dog managed to break into the pantry and eat an entire box of devil's food cookies so of course I panicked and rushed him to the vet. He was fine, but a little ill the next few days.

Answer 6

everyone here says yes... Well my dog used to get into the bowl of M&M's every year at my house when I was growing up..She lived to be 18 years old!!!! I used to joke around saying the chocolate is what made her live that long..

But yes, research says chocolate is poison for dogs

Answer 7

Unfortunately for dogs chocolate tastes really, really good, but chocolate is not really poisonous, not like cyanide. That doesn't change the fact that it can kill your dog. It is theobromine that is harmful to dogs, if you can find chocolate without it you'll have the happiest dog in town. Theobromine is a stimulant found in the coca plant.

Answer 8

NO REALLY IT'S NOT. I HAD TO ASK MY VET BECAUSE MY DOG IS A PIT BULL AND WILL EAT ANYTHING AND HE FOUND TWO BIG BAGS OF CHOCOLATE WITH TINFOIL WRAPING AND ATE BOTH OF THEM. THE VET SAID YES CHOCOLATE CAN HARM THEM BUT IN A VERY LARGE AMOUNT THAT THEY COULDNT GET IN ONE SITTING. EVEN IF THEY FOUND A POUND OF CHOCOLATE(unless they were small dogs) THAT THEY WOULD BE FINE, MAYBE UPSET STOMACH BUT NOT MUCH ELSE. THE CHOCOLATE TURNS INTO A TOXIC SOMETHING FOR THEM BUT NOT BAD ENOUGH TO HURT THEM...

Answer 9

Chocolate is harmful to dogs because they cannot efficiently metabolize theobromine. "The lethal dose of this agent is determined by weight and falls roughly into the category of 250-500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight."

Answer 10

very much so

the naturally occuring compound "theobromine" which is found in cocoa products (as well as cola and tea....i.e. caffeine) 'poisons' the dogs bloodstream (poison like symptoms), and they are not able to metabolize it fast enough.

You should not EVER give chocolate to your dog. Very minimal amounts (depending on body weight) are ok if they accidentally ingest....but larger amounts are toxic.

Give your dog a dog treat instead.