can dogs really die if they eat chocolate?

Question

my dog didn't die from eating it. but still, people say they can. is it really true? i am sooo confused!

Answer 1

Doubtful. My dog (yellow lab) ate an entire bowl of Hershey Kisses a few years ago when no one was home. Besides leaving behind multi-colored sparkling poop for a week (she ate the wrappers too), she seemed perfectly fine.

Answer 2

yes they can, depending on how much and the dogs size, a little but for a big dog wont do much harm, but a lot for any size dog is not good at all. I had experience with this, my dog ate chocolate while I wasent home, he was suppose to be getting watched by someone else, anyway, when I came home I found he got into chocolate, I took him to the vet and they kept him over night, he was okay, but they said if I waited any later, he could have passed away, to sad to even think of it!

Answer 3

People can die from eating chocolate. That doesn't stop me. I had a dog and if we gave him chocolate we did. He lived to be 16. There's a lot of fat in it. Of course it's not good for them. But hey. If you share with the dog you do. People always told me that too. But my dogs got it whether it was chocolate or something else. It's just like people. Eat the right stuff and live longer. If not then ya don't. No biggie. It's your dog.

Answer 4

Chocolate is like poison to a dog. If he gets into Halloween Candy and eats the Chocolate, he will throw it up. If he eat a couple of chocolate bars and he is a small dog, yes, he will die. But it really depends on how much he eats and how much he weighs.

Answer 5

Yes, this is definitely true. It depends on how much and how big your dog is. Also dogs can't have onions. I know this for a fact, my pug was in the hospital for 3 weeks because onions are poisonous to dogs as well. Just depends on te qunatity and the size of your dog. Don't feed them chocolate or onions. Also don't use a swiffer in your house. Dogs lick their paws and can die from this as well. There is products and harmful agents in a swiffer sweeper and mop. So if you have a dog dont use it!

Answer 6

Well, one thing you have to keep in mind is the type of chocolate and the size of your dog.

Here's info from the ASPCA poison control website.

Chocolate
Did you know…chocolate can be harmful or even deadly to pets?

Depending on the form involved, chocolate can contain high amounts of fat and caffeine-like substances known as methylxanthines. If ingested in significant amounts, chocolate can potentially produce clinical effects ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases.

Typically, the darker the chocolate, the higher the potential for clinical problems from methylxanthine poisoning. White chocolate has the lowest methylxanthine content, while baking chocolate contains the highest. As little as 20 ounces of milk chocolate, or only two ounces of baking chocolate can cause serious problems in a 10-pound dog. While white chocolate may not have the same potential as darker forms to cause a methylxanthine poisoning, the high fat content of lighter chocolates could still lead to vomiting and diarrhea, as well as the possible development of life-threatening pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition of the pancreas.

Answer 7

They have to eat a lot a chocolate to die. A small dog eats a whole cake and yes it could die. A 110 lb dog eats a cupcake and it would be fine. Who really wants to take the chance and clean up barf ?

Answer 8

Yes, it is true. If a dog eats ALOT of it, and I mean ALOT of it, the dog will die. There is something that is mixed in the chocolate that makes them very ill.

Answer 9

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 10

Don't give it chocolate!!! My dog black German Shepard, ex cop dog, smart dog but I couldn't leave chocolate in the trash, that was his favorite along with bread. He ate a 1/2 package of oreos from the trash. I yelled at him and he never did it again! He didn't die