Where is it scientifically proven that chocolate harms dogs? And why? What does it do to them? Just curious.?

Answer 1

whats poisonous to them is bakers choclate regular choclate is not and the bakers choclate will ham them in large amounts

Answer 2

Chocolate is indeed toxic to dogs.

It is due to specific ingredients in the chocolate: caffeine and theobromine. Theobromine is an alkaloid that dogs can't metabolize quickly. If a dog ingests a large amount of chocolate, the theobromine can build up and reach a toxic level of concentration, leading to cardiac arrest. Different types of chocolate are more harmful than others, and the effects will vary, depending upon the size and weight of the dog. However, it is potentially lethal.

Methyxanthines (like theobromide and caffeine) affect primarily the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. There is a diuretic effect as well.

So the signs seen with toxicity include hyperexitablility, hyper-irritability, increased heart rate, restlessness, increased urination, nausea, and vomiting. Under some circumstances these signs can lead to secondary problems like hyperthermia. In severe cases, seizures or cardiac arrest can occur. Death can result from severe intoxication.

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. Inducing vomiting can help if the ingestion is known and has occurred within one to two hours. Administration of activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin from the digestive tract. It may be necessary to use medications to control the effects of the poisoning, especially seizure control medications, oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, and medications to control the effects on the heart.

Check out these links for some more specifics:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/nutritiondogs/a/chocolatetoxici.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine_poisoning

Answer 3

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.

Not all chocolate is the same. Some has a small amount of theobromine; another type has a large amount and still another contains an amount that is somewhere in between. The quantity has a relationship with the weight of your dog. Small dogs can be poisoned, it is easy to understand, from smaller amounts of theobromine than large dogs.

Which chocolate is the safest, relatively speaking? White chocolate. It has the least amount of theobromine: 1 mg per ounce. Far on the other side of the spectrum is baking chocolate, which has a huge 450 mg of theobromine per ounce!

Answer 4

it contains a compound called(theobromine)which is like caffeine baking chocolate has 9 times the (theobromie) in it the dogs love the taste they just keep eating and this causes their heart to race

Answer 5

MistressCris gave good info and NaughtyAngel_Hottie gave a good link. Ignore the people who talk about sugar; sugar does not hurt dogs, it just makes them fat. Sugar does not give a dog worms; exposure to worms gives a dog worms. Maybe sugar makes worms fat, too; but I don't know about that and that wasn't the question.

Good luck.

Answer 6

chocolate or anything with sugar in it causes dogs to have worms for more information ask a vet

Answer 7

It is poisonous to them. Read the information on this website.. it will help you understand!

Answer 8

CHOCOLATE OVER LOADS THE DOGS BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM AS IN CAFFENE AND SOME DOGS DIE

Answer 9

it makes them really sick!!!