What happens if a dog eats chocolate?

Question

I know they can die but does it speed their heart rate up or somtin?

Answer 1

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 2

Dog Eats Chocolate

Answer 3

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Answer 4

If a dog gets too much chocolate (which in a small dog does not have to be much, esp. if dark chocolate) or a dog gets ahold of Baker's chocolate it can get sick and die. Dogs are reacting to the theobromide in the chocolate.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs include, within the first few hrs:
vomiting, diarrhea, or hyperactivity.
As time passes:
Increase in heart rate that can cause arrythmia, restlessness, muscle twitching, hyperactivity, increased urination or excessive panting.
If enough is ingested, the above can lead to:
hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma, DEATH.

http://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/library/chocolate-dog-poisoning.shtml

Answer 5

What i have been told is that in order to be toxic a dog would need to eat 1 oz per pound of body weight. So if the dog weighed 10 pounds it would have to eat at least 10 oz. of chocolate.

That doesn't mean that it wouldn't still get sick- diahrea, vomitting, etc.

Answer 6

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.

Answer 7

I am not sure what happens but we had a little house dog eat like a pound of chocolate covered coffee beans, not sure how but she did. She didn't get sick or die...but she was up for three days straight.

Answer 8

It depends on the size of the dog and the amount of chocolate ingested. A medium to large dog ingesting a small (M&M size, a small square of hersey bar) will probably just get a little sick. Diaherria or vomiting may accure. A smaller dog with this small amount, try to take to a vet. When this happened to our 1/2 German shepherd, 1/2 Rottweiler we sped up her food consumption to entice her to poop and thus allowing the chocolate to adhere to something and getting out of her system quicker. She never did get sick. Hope this helps

Answer 9

chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, both methylxanthines that can cause stimulation of the central nervous system, an increase in heart rate and tremors. Clinical signs—vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, and increased thirst, urination and heart rate—can be seen with the ingestion of as little as two ounces of baking chocolate by a 10-pound dog.

Answer 10

My dog and cat worked together to knock a sealed ziplock box of no bake cookies off the table and those two and the other dog ate them all and left NO crumb behind, all three of them are fine. I guess I'll have to leave all cookies in the fridge so this does not happen again.