Is chocolate bad for dogs?

Answer 1

It will kill them in large amounts (shuts their liver down). So will grapes and raisins...

Answer 2

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. People often get theobromine confused with caffeine, while they have similar effects, eating a piece of chocolate will not give a human the rush a cup of coffee does. Chocolate will still give a sugar rush, but don't eat it if you're up late studying for an exam.


Dogs and horses are greatly affected by theobromine. Chocolate is a banned substance in horse racing because of the boost it will give to the horse. Of course a horse can still eat too much of it, like a dog, but they're significantly bigger animals and it would take much more chocolate.


Your dogs system will try to purge itself of the theobromine if it gets enough of it. One tiny piece won't cause any significant damage, unless your dog eats a shoe while 'high' on chocolate. You'll notice if they've had too much. Aside from the dog crying it will be vomiting and have diarrhea. If you notice these symptoms you should have your animal checked out immediately. Your dog will probably not die from these symptoms, they are just warning signs. The concern comes from the dog's heart, especially if it is an older dog. The dogs heart my beat too fast and just give out, that's the real danger. An increased heart rate will probably come after the vomiting and diarrhea, when more theobromine has had a chance to be absorbed into the blood steam. Other signs to watch for are increased urination (another method the body will use to purge itself of something), muscle twitching, and excessive panting. Chocolate could kill your dog, cause seizures or put it in a coma, so be careful.


The amount of chocolate that will harm your dog will vary depending on the size, age, health of your dog, and the type of chocolate. Baker's chocolate has much more theobromine than regular milk chocolate. There's not much else to why it will kill your dog, there are lots of things that will kill dogs, or humans, or any other animal. Too much caffeine can be fatal to humans, you'll never drink enough to kill you at one time so don't fret.

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

It never hurt any of my dogs & they lived to be over 14 years old! They were large breeds & probably ate about as much chocolate as I did. A piece of See's Candy & chocolate covered donuts almost every day! Every one says it is bad for them, but everything in moderation is the key. If a dog ate a whole box of chocolates, then I suppose it could kill them, or at least make them sick!

Answer 5

It seems that from all of the research I have done that the answer is yes. From experience, as long as your dog does not eat mass amounts of chocolate, he should be ok. My dog gets a little in ice cream from time to time. I had a dog when I was a kid that ate an entire choco cake, and he was fine, except for the hershey squirts the next day.

Answer 6

I have a dog book at home and in the book it said that one pound of chocolate would kill a 17 pound dog. If you give your dog chocolate just give it a little bit. There is poison in chocolate that could kill dogs, not humans

Answer 7

Extremely. It causes vomiting and diarrhea that will cause the dog to become so dehydrated it can die. Also it breaks down in the dog's system to become theophylinne and that is fatal. My dog got into a bag of chocolate chips when my floors were being redone and was rushed to the vet with inter venous fluids, it cost hundreds of dollars, she nearly died and she ruined the carpets in another area of the house.

Awful, even in small amounts not a good idea...

Answer 8

Yes, chocolate is very bad for dogs. Don't give ur dogs any chocolate coz dogs cannot digest chocolate very easily. It will clog their veins and arteries and make them obese. Ur dog cud also get diabetes and heart problems. Giving them chocolate once or twice in a year wont hurt though........

Answer 9

Yes yes yes!! Especially dark chocolate and baking chocolate. Both contain high concentrations of an ingredient that is toxic to dogs.

Answer 10

Yes! Dogs are unable to efficiently metabolize the theobromine that's found in chocolate. "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 11

Chocolate is very bad for dogs! It can cause severe gastrointestinal problems. Diarreah, as well as vomiting are not uncommon if a dog consumes chocolate.