Can chocolate cause seizures in dogs?

Question

I'm trying to prepare my children. Is she likely to die from the chococlate?

Answer 1

Chocolate can kill dogs. It depends on how much eaten and the weight of the dog. How much it takes can vary from dog to dog, or for the same dog, at different times.

Chocolate contains a xanthine compound, heobromine, caffeine & theophylline, and they are toxic to dogs.

However dogs seem to love chocolate, at least ours did, and it is hard to tell how much is too much. We occasionally gave our dogs a chocolate chip cookie, but only one, or a small amount of other chocolate treats. But make sure any chocolate you have around is out of your dog's reach - dogs will devour chocolate if they get a chance.

Dogs also like peanut butter and white chocolate. White chocolate does not have the same toxicity for them, so your kids will have some options if you want to let them give your dog "people food" treats.

These links have excellent information about dogs and chocolate.

Answer 2

Theobromine toxicity can indeed cause seizures and death in dogs. We see it a lot more around the holidays. The caffeine doesn't help matters, but it's not the main problem. Theobromine is the substance in chocolate that is poisonous to dogs. It is NOT made up.....Wanna tell that to all the owners I know who had to bury their dogs as a result, tdude?....That they should go dig them up because they're not really dead???

Anyway, it doesn't always take a large amount to induce toxicity, seizures, and death, either. It depends on the size of the dog, and the darkness of the chocolate. A bite from a square of baking chocolate can kill a small chihuahua or Yorkie. Half of a Hershey bar can do the same thing. Those of us who have seen it firsthand on several occasions are the ones who KNOW.

If your dog is having seizures BECAUSE of eating chocolate, it's often too late for treatment to be successful. That doesn't mean you shouldn't TRY, however. Only your DVM can treat it....you don't have the capabilities at home.

But if your dog is having seizures for other reasons, and just happened to eat a few M&Ms and weighs over 50#, for example....then that's a whole 'nother situation altogether.

You need to call your DVM and give them a more detailed history of what's going on. They'll help you.

Answer 3

Although you didn't say, I'm guessing she ate chocolate.

The thrombomine (sp?) in chocolate is toxic, but don't jump to conclusions. It's not instant poison.

First, it depends on the weight of the dog, how much chocolate the dog ate, and what kind it was.

If it was milk chocolate, which is what most houses have around, that's one thing in your favor. Dark chocolate and baker's chocolate have more of the bad stuff.

Second, if it was just a candy bar, probably your dog might be sick, but I doubt it would die. Take it to a vet, of course.

I had a cocker spaniel, who was about 13 to 15 pounds, and she found a large bag of M&M's in a closet and ate what I estimate was probably about a cup or of M&Ms. She was quite sick and lethargic, and I think may have thrown up, at a minimum had diarrhea, but didn't die.

Now that's a lot of M&M's for a small doggy. If you have a big dog and it just ate a chocolate bar, you may not notice anything.

So, without knowing the breed / size / weight and how much of, and what kind of, chocolate it ate, it's hard to tell, but no, it's not automatic poison for them. It's not safe either, but it's not all black and white - there's a lot of grey area in between.

Answer 4

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 5

In my opinion, based on experience, this is a true story, all those answers are BS about chocolate being bad for dogs. My mother feeds chocolate, and lots of other candy to her spoiled dalmation, everyday, and nothing is wrong with the dog. That dog loves chocolate and eats it everday, seriously, she has regular check ups at the vet, and she is as healthy as can be, don't worry about it.

Answer 6

I am not sure if the dog will die but I do know your not suppose to feed your dog Chocolate. If its a good dog why don't you call your vet to see if something can be done.

Answer 7

It is poison to dogs so I would take the dog to a vet. However I've seen dogs eat small amounts and be fine, but I would take it to get checked just to be sure.

Answer 8

Depends on how much she was given. Chocolate is very poisonous to dogs. I'm soooo sorry for you and your children!!

Answer 9

I know for a fact, chocolate and sugar in general can induce fits in some types of epilepsy. That is for humans so it might be the same for dogs, i am not sure.

Answer 10

Why chocolate poisons dogs and how to treat chocolate dog poisoning