is chocolate really bad for dogs?

Answer 1

I cannot believe that only one person mentioned that it's the Theobromine that is in choclate that is is so deadly.

Chocolate contains theobromine. A naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine that is poisonous to dogs.

You can recognize that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate from the symptoms. Within the first few hours, the evidence includes vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes and there's increased absorption of the toxic substance, you'll see an increase in the dog's heart rate, which can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.

This can lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.

Theobromine, a component of chocolate, is the toxic compound in chocolate. (Caffeine is also present in chocolate, but in much smaller amounts than Theobromine.

White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.

Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog.

Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.

Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

Please look at the link I'm adding. I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Yes, Depending on the amount and type ingested and the size of the dog it can also be fatal. A client that has a Maltese recently lost her dog around Thanksgiving because it ate several dark chocolate candies she had on her table.
The darker the chocolate, the worse it is. Baker's Chocolate is particularly dangerous.
If a large dog gets ahold of a mixture of chocolates and eats a number of them and it isn't Baker's Chocolate or all dark chocolate, the dog will likely be fine, maybe have diarrhea. It's bad for the dog. But any sized dog can die from chocolate if they have too much, and the darker the worse it is.

Answer 3

It all depends on your dog!! I have an American Staffy and he is a fairly large boy and he can eat Chocolate till the cows come home!!! We always give him a tiny bit here and there but there has been so many time he has opened the pantry(Yes he can open the pantry and every other door in the house!) and taken the chocolate and eaten a whole block or sometimes more depending on how much we have just bought. When we come home from shopping he knows the moment we walk through the door that mum and dad have chocolate!! and when we don't have any he knows that to and wont talk to us! So look it really comes down to the individual dog and how much they can take. I wouldn't recommend it but hay sometimes you don't really get a say in what your dog does!!!

Answer 4

It is veru bad for dogs. A large enough dose of it can be deadly for a dog! Keep it away...at the very least they can get a bad case of "food poisoning" and vomit everywhere. Never give chocolate or anything that has chocolate in it to a dog or cat!

Answer 5

Yes as some dogs are actually allergic to it and it can act as a poison to them. Dogs can generally eat what humans eat, but a few things like chocolate are on the no, no list

Answer 6

SUPER BAD! My family had a basset-hound many years ago, who got sneaky & munched a bunch of homemade chocolates at our x-mas party. We got to spend the rest of the night at the Animal hospital, because the dog went into diabetic shock & almost died! Fortunately she lived, but had diarrhea for about a week!

Answer 7

Yes, it's true. It's not because of caffeine or fats. Chocolate actually has a certain enzyme that dogs are allergic to. Small bits are okay (if accidently swallowed) but don't give chocolate as a treat or anything.

Answer 8

Yes, it really is. It has been known to cause seizures. But If they only have a small amount, I wouldn't worry about it. With that said, I certainly wouldn't offer chocolate to my dog no matter how much they beg.

Answer 9

Chocolate is very poisonous for dogs

Answer 10

Yes it is. Some dogs are more sensitive than others, and obviously the bigger the dog the more they can tolerate. Check out Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook (in 3rd edition, page 25). This is an excellent resource, I refer to it frequently.