what happens when dogs eat chocolate?if they do what can you do about it?

Answer 1

Chocolate can kill a dog. I don't know the particulars, but I know it happens.

If a large dog eats a few M&Ms, its not a problem, but if a dog of any size eats more than 2or 3 oz of chocolate (less if it is dark chocolate and has a high cocoa %), it is very dangerous.

My 25 pound Corgi ate 10 oz of 78% cocoa, dark chocolate once. I wasn't paying close enough attention. I could not afford to take him to to vet. But the vet told me what to do to make him vomit.

1) feed the dog burnt toast. This acts similarly to "activated charcoal". If you have activated charcoal, feed the dog that.

2) put 1 tbs hydrogen peroxide per 20 pounds dog weight into turkey baster and drip into mought. Dog will swallow most of it. This should be regular household Hydrogen Peroxide - not commercial or cosmetic. HP causes oxidation of dead cells, so it may look like the dog is foaming at the mouth. This is ok. If you dont' want to force it down their throat, put it on their front paws, they will like it off.

3) Dog should start to vomit w/in 1 hour. Dog may vomit several times to get all of chocolate out.

4) If this is unsuccessful, or dog shows signs of distress, go directly to vet.

My corgi threw up on and off for nearly 6 hours (he ate a lot of chocolate). He was sore, had blood shot eyes and thirsty, but okay.

Does he still want chocolate? You bet!

Answer 2

Compounds called methyxanthines, which includes caffeine and theobromine, are not metabolized by dogs very well. They are poisonous.
If a dog eats some a throws it up quickly you should be fine. However, the higher the cocoa content (i.e. darker the chocolate) and the more of it, the worse. Dogs WILL eat it. A small dog would probably die from a normal-sized hershey bar.
If your dog has eaten more than say, one ounce of chcocolate for every 20 pounds of body weight (or 50 pounds for very dark chocolate) you should take them to a vet FAST.

Answer 3

Dogs can't eat chocolate because caffeine has a bad effect on them, and chocolate contains caffeine. A very small amount of chocolate, like a couple of M & Ms or something, isn't anything to panic over. However if they eat more than that, like a large amount, their heart will go into overdrive and they won't survive. If your dog does accidently eat a lot of chocolate, get it to the vet right away.

Answer 4

That depends on how much chocolate and the size of the dog. It can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or much worse. Immediate treatment would be to make the dog vomit. It may be necessary to pump the stomach if too much time has passed since eating the chocolate. Fluids would also be administered to help flush the toxins out of the system.

Answer 5

I can't answer the question about chocolate but our dog got some whipped cream with artificial sweetener in it. Her liver started to shut down because her body couldn't metabolize it. She had to stay at the vet's office for two days and cost about $450. Now days you really need to give your dog "dog food".

Answer 6

depends on the type of chocolate and the size of your dog. the darker the chocolate and the smaller the the dog the worse it can be

Answer 7

we were dogsitting during christmas and the small dog got into the stockings and had a piece of dove chocolate. she puked it back up 5 minutes later.

Answer 8

Chocolate can be deadly to dogs. The only thing you can do is, take her to the vet ASAP, so they can treat her.

Answer 9

they can get very very sick - sugar or chocolate should not be given to any animal. if you think your dog has ingested a substantial ammount of chocolate take it to the vet.

Answer 10

I agree with everything above, go to a vet ASAP, but also tell them if it was dark or milk chocolate, dark is worse than milk....