Pets and chocolate???

Question

Why do some people say that chocolate is considered as poison to animals and that if they have chocolate they will live shorter lives. Does anyone know any physiology on this at all as well, any information would be helpful, and soon as poss pls as my cats mouth is watering and the choc is melting and i dont know whether to give her some lol.

Yes ok ive already been told its poisonous to them, but whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

gotwrongnumber?? r u completely thick?? if i was so unconcerned then why would i be asking the physiology of it? so i can really understand it!! U obviously werent in the right que when god gave brains out honey.

gotwrongnumber....ur only lying to yourself dear.
You know everyone else gave nice honest answers, did u get outta wrong side of bed that morning?

Answer 1

Chocolate: the substance that is harmful in chocolate is called theobromine. This is a naturally occurring alkaloid found
in the cocoa bean and it can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. The chocolate acts like a stimulant and causes increased heart rate, irregular heart beat and may even cause seizures. Smaller doses of chocolate can trigger vomiting and diarrhea and these symptoms could lead to dehydration if they are not treated immediately. Large doses can also be fatal! Make sure your children understand that feeding chocolate to your pet will make him sick. Chocolate is also toxic to cats, but they do not tend to have a sweet tooth. Nevertheless, cat owners should
still keep the chocolates out of the way of kitty.

To determine what a lethal dose of theobromine is would depend on the size of the animal and the type of chocolate. Baking chocolate is the most lethal as it contains six to nine times as much theobromine as milk chocolate. In the event of your dog or cat getting at the Christmas chocolates,
call your veterinarian. Try to determine the amount and type of chocolate the animal has ingested in order to help the vet in assessing the situation to form an accurate diagnosis
and treatment plan.
The symptoms of Theobromide poisoning are numerous and they appear within a few hours or up to a day after the chocolate ingestion. Chocolate stays in the animal's stomach a long time. As the Theobromide is absorbed into the bloodstream, the animal can exhibit the following symptoms:

1) Vomiting

2) Diarrhea

3) Diuresis (Urinary Incontinence)

4) Hyperactivity

5) Rapid breathing/heartbeat

6) Muscle tremors

7) Seizures

8) Coma

There is no antidote for Theobromide poising. Treatment is geared toward supporting the animals basic life functions, preventing further absorption of the chocolate, hastening elimination, and treating the symptoms. If less than 2 hours have passed since the ingestion, the first step is to induce vomiting. This should get rid of 70% of the stomach's contents. The Chocolate can melt and form a ball in the stomach, which can be difficult to remove.

Answer 2

It isn't considered a poison it is one!!!
There is a chemical in Chocolate that is Toxic to Dogs and Cats! Its called theobromine and can be fatal!
Animals cant metabolise it in the way we do and the smaller the animal or the more they eat then the more dangerous it is.
Why chance hurting the cat when other better treats are available!
For more information use Google!!
Size isn't the only indicator though as I know from experience!
My Shepherd once stole a bar of chocolate (small) and was very ill! I make sure she cant do it again!!!

Answer 3

It's the Thiobromine (spelling) in the chocolate which is bad. It's not particular good for many creatures but how dangerous it is depends on how quickly the animal can break it down. Dogs take a long time and hence they can be a real danger from chocolate to the extent it can kill them.

Dark chocolate is worse than white choco as it has more of the substance. You can buy "pet chocolate" which doesn't have this chemical. The only advice against using this is that it gives your pets the taste for it.

Answer 4

Let me give you a real life example. I worked in a vet clinic where a yellow lab ate a bunch of choc. chip cookies (each individual reacts differently- I know another lab that at 24 dove dark chocolates and was no worse for the wear). Now this yellow lab was given activated charcoal to try to bind the poision and get it to live. He eventually died after a miserable last couple days. He had diarrhea so bad, we literally wore raincoats by him because it would spray so far and in all directions.
Please do not do this to your animal. It is not necessarily a shorter life if they live through it, but it can kill them pretty quickly (thus a short life).
It would be like you drinking drano and seeing what happens.

Answer 5

There is a substance in chocolate called Thiobromine (not sure of the spelling) that can build to toxic levels in pets and cause liver problems.

The more pure the chocolate (higher cocoa %) the more Thiobromine there is. White Chocolate does contain cocoa so no thiobromine there, but the fat and sugar don't do your pet any favors.

Body weight of the pet plays a big role in how much chocolate an pet can eat. Larger the pet, the more they can eat.

It's best however not to allow them any dark chocolate.

Answer 6

Chocolate contains the compound theobromine which is a diuretic
as well as a cardiac stimulant. This can cause the pet's heart rate to increase or it may cause the heart to beat irregularly, both of which can be dangerous to the animal. The level of theobromine present in chocolate varies depending on the type of chocolate. For example, dark chocolate contains higher levels than milk chocolate and so could pose a greater risk to your pet.

Answer 7

Theobromine. Part of link below....

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.

Answer 8

I heard that too, in relation to my dog tho - haven't got a cat. I don't know the logistics of it but so many people have said the same thing that there must be some truth in the matter. So don't give you cat any and hopefully someone else can answer better than I have!!

Answer 9

I have no idea why sorry but don't ever give a cat or dog chocolate for humans! it can kill them. They have cat and dog chocolate in pet stores though :)

Answer 10

chocolate Is poisonous to animals due to an added ingredient it can contain - it makes the animals thirsty and in severe cases can cause the animal to drink itself to death trying to rehydrate or just has an adverse affect on the animals intestine. xx