My dog ate some chocolate. help!!?

Question

Ok my dog went through my garbage while i was sleeping and licked off the last of a pudding cup, the last of a cup of ice cream and ate a little piece of a hershey bar. She seems fine but is there anything i can give her to prevent her from getting sick?

Answer 1

The right amount of chocolate can hurt a dog. However, the small amount myth is unfounded. Unless you're sure as to how small the actual amount you should call your vet to make sure. Call he vet and they will tell you what signs to look for and how long to look for them if your dog is poisoned by chocolate.

Do not feed your dog:

1. Chocolate: Dogs love the flavor of chocolate, but chocolate in sufficient doses is lethally toxic to dogs (and horses and possibly cats). Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical stimulant that, together with caffeine and theophylline, belongs to the group of methylxanthine alkaloids. Dogs are unable to metabolize theobromine effectively. If they eat chocolate, the theobromine can remain in their bloodstreams for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience fast heart rate, hallucinations, severe diarrhea, epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death.

A chocolate candy bar can be sufficient to make a small dog extremely ill or even kill it. Approximately thirty grams of baking chocolate per kilogram (1/2 ounce per pound) of body weight is enough to be poisonous. In case of accidental intake of chocolate by especially a smaller dog, contact a veterinarian or animal poison control immediately; it is commonly recommended to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. Large breeds are less susceptible to chocolate poisoning, but still are far less tolerant of the substance than humans are.

2. Grapes & Raisins: It has recently been confirmed that grapes and raisins can cause acute renal failure in dogs. The exact mechanism is not known, nor any means to determine the susceptibility of an individual dog. While as little as one raisin can be fatal to a susceptible ten pound dog, many other dogs have eaten as much as a pound of grapes or raisins at a time without ill effects. The dog usually vomits a few hours after consumption and begins showing signs of renal failure three to five days later.

3. Onions: Onions and to a significantly lesser extent garlic contain thiosulfate which causes hemolytic anemia in dogs (and cats). Thiosulfate levels are not affected by cooking or processing. Small puppies have died of hemolytic anemia after being fed baby food containing onion powder. Occasional exposure to small amounts is usually not a problem, but continuous exposure to even small amounts can be a serious threat.

4. Macadamia nuts: Macadamia nuts can cause stiffness, tremors, hyperthermia, and abdominal pain. The exact mechanism is not known. Most dogs recover with supportive care when the source of exposure is removed.

5. Beer: Alcoholic beverages pose much the same temptation and hazard to dogs as to humans. A drunk dog displays behavior pretty much analogous to that of an intoxicated person. (However, beer presents another problem; see below.)

Hops, the plant used to make common beer, can cause malignant hyperthermia in dogs, usually with fatal results. Certain breeds, such as Greyhounds, seem particularly sensitive to hop toxicity, but hops should be kept away from all dogs. Even small amounts of hops can trigger a potentially deadly reaction, even if the hops are "spent" after use in brewing.

Check out this website for more info:

http://www.dogsobediencetraining.com/dog_health/dangerous_unsafe_food.htm

Answer 2

Actually if she got sick that would be a good thing as it would expel a lot of what wasn't good for her. Generally, you should always call your vet if your dog eats anything it shouldn't. Generally it's dark chocolate that is bad for cats & dogs as it can raise the heart rate to dangerously high levels. Typically a little bit of milk chocolate won't hurt. BUT, animals can be like people in some ways - we all react differently to food and so do animals. Some of us are allergic to peanuts and some of us aren't. My dog is allergic to wheat! When all else fails, call the vet or some areas have an animal poison control center hotline that will give you advice.

Answer 3

A friend of mine had a similar problem with one of her dogs, but her sister is a vet. What her sister said was that a little milk chocolate is not too bad, but dark chocolate can be fatal. I also had a cat that got into Easter baskets one year and ate all the tops off all the Hershey kisses. She never had a problem, but we learned to keep the candy locked up!

Answer 4

Many pet owners are perplexed when it comes to their dogs and chocolate poisoning. They have heard the warnings but they either choose to disregard them because their dog likes it as a treat or because they are not sure if they are true. Unfortunately several dogs each year die because their owners all not informed on the dangers of dogs and chocolate poisoning. Valentine’s Day and Easter are two times of the year that your dog could be exposed to enough chocolate to be lethal to him. If you have unanswered questions about dogs and chocolate poisoning, then please read on. It is not the chocolate itself that is the culprit here but one of the naturally occurring compounds found in it. Theobromine is an alkaloid, used in humans for the treatment of high blood pressure and sometimes as a diuretic. But its effect on animals, including dogs, is potentially quite lethal. Humans can quickly metabolize, or change into energy, theobromine in an efficient manner. Your dog, however, cannot. The half-life of theobromine, or the time it takes for half of what has been eaten to be turned into energy in the body, is seventeen and a half hours. While your dog is having a hard time excreting the substance, its cardiovascular and central nervous system are under duress. This has the potential to kill your pet. Cardiac irregularity and gastrointestinal tract bleeding can also be a direct result of chocolate poisoning in dogs. Dogs with epilepsy are particularly vulnerable to theobromine, as it can precipitate seizures. In a variation of the old theme- it is not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog- it is the size of the amount of chocolate that your dog ingests that matters here. A pound of milk chocolate can kill a sixteen pound canine. Different kinds of chocolates are higher in theobromine levels. White, milk and hot chocolate are considerably lower than semi-sweet, dark and bitter or baking chocolate. While the “lesser” chocolates are not as high in theobromine, they are in fat, which could lead to vomiting and diarrhea.

Answer 5

I had a Beagle (30 lbs) that ate a whole chocolate Easter egg once and did not get sick. The egg weighed about 5 ounces.
If the dog starts vomiting, I would get concerned.
If you can get some pepto bismol down your pet, this may help.

Answer 6

If your dog seems OK, then I wouldn't worry too much. My dog eats chocolate in small portions and it doesn't hurt her. Just keep an eye on your dog for a little while if your dog has never been exposed to chocolate before.

Answer 7

Tiny bits won't hurt her unless shes a tiny dog....I'd be worried if my dog ate a whole bar

Answer 8

well if you have a tiny dog, then its bad. w/ bigger dogs its not as bad but u should still try and stay away from it altogether.i would see a vet just to make sure that she is ok. u kno, its better safe than sorry. good luck!
-sara :-D

Answer 9

it probably wont cause any trouble unless it ate a LOT of it, my dog has had half a bag of hersheys kisses (kids fed it to her and didnt know) and it didnt affect her

Answer 10

your dog be fine .i haven,t seen a dog yet that don,t eat garbage.or get in to garbage . i have 2dogs and be live me ther is nothing they won,t eat and they are ok . but don,t ever give your dogs chicken bones this will hurt them.