what really happens to dogs if you feed them chocolate?

Question

it's a popular belief that feeding dogs chocolate can kill them. is there any truth behind this?

Answer 1

A few M&Ms killed my precious Pug..No amount of poison is a safe amount.
(it caused seizures and heart failure)

Answer 2

People always say the dog will die!!! It also depends very much on the dog and the dogs diet.

My 200 pounds Dog has a thyroid issue but he accidently ate about 4 candy bars and was fine.

Once when I was a kid my neighbors dog got into a huge wedding cake made out of chocolate and he died... It was 8 pounds of cake though.

That being said Sometimes my little 3 pound shih tzu eats chocolate out of my daughters hand and she has never gotten sick.

Answer 3

A very small amount of chocolate can have an alcohol-like effect on dogs. If they get a hold of enough of it it will poison them. I worked with veterinarians for over 10 years and I never witnessed a dog dying from eating chocolate. We did treat many dogs for the vomiting and diarrhea they got after consuming chocolate.

Answer 4

Chocolate is like poison to dogs and can kill them. Bakers chocolate is the worst. Once the chocolate has been made into candy if the dog were to steal a little bit it probably wouldn't hurt him but you should never give a dog chocolate.

Answer 5

Wow. The people who give their dogs chocolate dont know what they are talking about. Dogs have a rapid (fast) heart beat, and the caffeine inthe chocolate is very very dangerous for them, which leads to the vomitting and bathroom problems the other answers have told you about.

Answer 6

Chocolate is toxic for dogs

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.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/nutritiondogs/a/chocolatetoxici.htm

Answer 7

Are some chocolates more toxic than others?
Yes. Unsweetened (baker's) chocolate contains 8-10 times the amount of Theobromine as milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate falls roughly in between the two for Theobromine content. White chocolate contains Theobromine, but in such small amounts that Theobromine poisoning is unlikely. Caffeine is present in chocolate, but less than Theobromine.

Quick Guide for Theobromine levels in different types of chocolate:
From The Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th ed

Unsweetened (Baker's) chocolate = 390-450 mg Theobromine per oz chocolate
Milk chocolate = 44-60 mg Theobromine per oz chocolate
Semi-sweet is a bit less than half of the Theobromine content as Baker's chocolate.
How much is too much?
The toxic dose of Theobromine (and caffeine) for pets is 100-200mg/kg. (1 kiliogram = 2.2 pounds). However, various reports by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) have noted problems at doses much lower than this - i.e. 20mg/kg.

Translated to a "typical" scenario, and using the 20mg/kg as a measure of "problems can be seen at this level of ingestion", a 50 pound dog would have to consume 9 ounces (+/-) of milk chocolate to consume the 20mg/kg amount of Theobromine. Some dogs won't see problems at this rate. Some may.

This is a much more conservative toxic level calculation than the "standard" of 100-200mg/kg, but better safe than sorry. A dog sneaking a couple M&M's shouldn't have a problem, but it isn't a good habit to get into!

What are the signs of toxicity?
Signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate ingestion.

Excitement / nervousness / trembling
Vomiting / diarrhea
Excessive thirst / sometimes excessive urination (at higher levels of Theobromine toxicity)
Muscle spasms
Seizures
Coma (rare
Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities.

Answer 8

Listen to these people. It does kill dogs and other pets so just dont try it. Trust me youll regret it if you feed a dog chocolate.

Answer 9

it's a true belief. Any chocolate can get a dog sick or kill it! Just never give a dog chocolate. Or raisins. My dog ate raisins and we have to take him to the vet. So...no chocolate or raisins. (i guess chocolate covered raisins are a bad idea!)

Answer 10

Chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs. It is also found in caffeine. A dog is not going to die from one M & M but in sufficent quantities chocolate causes kidney and liver failure. There is no antidote for this poison.

Answer 11

In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to animals such as horses, dogs, parrots, and cats (kittens especially) because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion, or contacting a veterinarian.

A typical 20-kilogram dog will normally experience great intestinal distress after eating fewer than 240 grams (8.47 oz) of dark chocolate, but will not necessarily experience bradycardia or tachycardia unless it eats at least a half a kilogram (1.1 lbs) of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has 2 to 5 times more theobromine and thus is more dangerous to dogs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, approximately 1.3 grams of baker's chocolate per kilogram of a dog's body weight (0.02 oz/lb) is sufficient to cause symptoms of toxicity. For example, a typical 25-gram (0.88 oz) baker's chocolate bar would be enough to bring about symptoms in a 20-kilogram (44 lb) dog. Of course, baking chocolate is rarely consumed directly due to its unpleasant taste, but other dark chocolates' canine toxicities may be extrapolated based on this figure. Large dogs such as St. Bernards or Rottweilers are somewhat less susceptible to poisoning, but as dogs like the taste of chocolate products as much as humans do, they should still be kept out of their reach; treats made from carob are a good substitute and pose no threat. There are reports that mulch made from cacao bean shells is dangerous to pets (and other animals)