Why is chocolate bad for dogs?

Question

And is it safe for dogs to eat fruits and vegetables?
Other foods you shouldn't give dogs?

Answer 1

It is the theobromine in the chocolate that causes toxicity in dogs. It is like a caffein rush to humans. White chocolate is not toxic, but the darker the chocolate the more toxic it is. Bakers chocolate is the worse.
Dogs can eat veggies and fruit. Do not give a dog the pits of any fruit because the pits contain a substance like cyanide. The fruit itself is fine. Veggies are great to give your dog but not onions and garlic. avocados are toxic also.

here is a good list for you

Apple The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which can result in cyanide poisoning.
Apricot The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
Avocado Avocado contains a toxic element called persin which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. Avocadoes are high in fat content and can trigger an upset stomach, vomiting or even pancreatitis. The seed pit is also toxic and if swallowed can become lodged in the intestinal tract where it may cause a severe blockage which will have to be removed surgically. Since avocado is the main ingredient in guacamole be sure and keep your dog out of the dip.
Baby Food Before feeding any baby food to your dog checkk the ingredients to see if it contains onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. Feeding baby food in large amounts may result in nutritional deficiencies.
Bones Cooked bones can be very hazardous for your dog. Bones become brittle when cooked which causes them to splinter when broken. The splinters have sharp edges that have been known to become stuck in the teeth, caused choking when caught in the throat or caused a rupture or puncture of the stomach lining or intestinal tract. Especially bad bones are turkey and chicken legs, ham, pork chop and veal.
Symptoms of choking are:
Pale or blue gums
Gasping Open-mouthed breathing
Pawing at face
Slow, shallow breathing
Unconscious, with dilated pupils
Raw bones (uncooked in any way) like chicken necks or beef knuckle bones are generally considered safe and help keep your dog's teeth healthy by removing plaque. A caution - bones have a high calcium content and too many can cause severe constipation.

Bread Dough When bread dough is ingested your dog's body heat causes the dough to rise in the stomach. During the rising process alcohol is produced as the dough expands. Pets who have eaten bread dough may experience abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting, disorientation and depression. A pet needs to eat only a small amount to cause a problem, because bread dough can rise to many times its size.
Broccoli The toxic ingredient in broccoli is isothiocynate. While it may cause stomach upset it probably won't be very harmful unless the amount fed exceeds 10% of the dogs total dailey diet.
Caffeine Beverages with caffeine (like soda, tea, coffee) acts as a stimulant and can accelerate your pet's heartbeat to a dangerous level. Pets ingesting caffeine have been known to have seizures, some fatal.
Candy Sugarless candy containing xylitol has been recognised by the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) to be a risk to pets (first published July 2004). This compound can cause liver damage and death in some dogs. This information is recent and some vets may not be familiar with xylitol poisoning. If your dog has eaten sugarless candy you can contact the NAPCC by telephone, 1-888-426-4435 for more information.
Cat Food Cat food is not formulated for canine comsumption. It is generally too high in protein and fats and is not a balanced diet for a dog.
Cherries The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
Chocolate Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include: vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, hyperactivity, irregular heartbeat and seizures.

Larger quantities of chocolate can poison or even kill a medium or large dog. An ounce or two of chocolate may not seem like much but it can be lethal to a small dog that weighs 10 lbs. or less. After their dog has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog sick. The next most dangerous forms are semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate, however the high amount of fat found in milk chocolate can lead to an attack of pancreatitis.


1 ounce per pound of body weight (2 ounces per kg of body weight) for milk chocolate.
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight ( 1 ounce per 1.5 kg body weight) for semi-sweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight ( 1 ounce per 4 kg) for baker's chocolate.

During many holidays such as Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter and Halloween, chocolate is often accessible to curious dogs, and in some cases, people unwittingly poison their dogs by offering them chocolate as a treat or letting them lick a frosting bowl.

Cigarettes see Tobacco Products
Citrus Oil Extracts Citrus oil extracts ave been known to cause vomiting.
Corn Cobs Many dogs have suffered and, in some cases, died after eating corn-on-the-cob, because the corn cob caused a partial or complete intestinal obstruction. Never allow your dog access to corn cobs.
Dairy Products Most dairy products are digested poorly by dogs who have little or none of the enzyme required to digest the lactose in milk. Just like lactose-intolerant people, lactose-intolerant dogs can develop excessive intestinal gas (flatulence) and may have foul-smelling diarrhea. It is best to avoid most dairy products altogether, although small amounts of cheese or plain yogurt are tolerated by most dogs, since these products have less lactose than most.
Food Preparation Items When chewing food remnants from
aluminum foil or pans
candy wrappers
paper plates and cups
plastic forks, spoons, knives
plastic beverage rings from six-packs
roasting bags
turkey skewers, lacing
a dog may swallow pieces which can cause abdominal discomfort, intestinal blockage, internal bleeding and in some cases, death. There is also a possibility if choking or suffocation. Dispose of food preparation items in a manner that your dog or another animal cannot get to it.
Eggs (Raw) Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. Additionally, raw eggs are often contaminated with bacteria, such as salmonella, and you could end up giving your dog food poisoning in addition to biotin deficiency.

Symptoms of biotin depletion are hair loss, weakness, growth retardation and skeleton deformity. If your dog is suffering from these symptoms the situation is urgent, and veterinary treatment is needed. Cooked eggs are high in protein and make an excellent treat. It is only the raw eggs that should not be given to your dog.

Grapes or Raisins Although the minimum lethal dosage is not known, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs when ingested in large quantities. The symptoms are gastrointestinal signs including vomiting and diarrhea, and then signs of kidney failure with an onset of severe kidney signs starting about 24 hours after ingestion. The amount of grapes eaten varied between 9 oz. and 2 lbs., which worked out to be between 0.41 and 1.1 oz/kg of body weight. It has been reported that two dogs died directly from the toxicity, three were euthanized due to poor response to treatment and five dogs lived.

Due to the severity of the signs and the potential for death, the veterinarians at the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) advocate aggressive treatment for any dog believed to have ingested excessive amounts of grapes or raisins, including inducing vomiting, stomach pumping and administration of activated charcoal, followed by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours or as indicated based on the results of blood tests for kidney damage.

Hops Spent hops as used in making beer.
Household Products Bad Household Items List
Liver Many dog treats and prepared foods contain liver so it may surprise you to find liver on the bad foods list. In small amounts liver is good for your dog, but if the liver intake is too high it can cause nutritional problems because liver has a high content of vitamin A. Consumption of this vitamin in large amounts can lead to vitamin A toxicity, or hypervitaminosis A. If your dog eats raw liver or consumes three servings of cooked liver a week it could lead to bone problems. Feeding liver to a dog taking Vitimin A supplements can lead to an overdose of Vitamin A.

Symptoms of hypervitaminosis A are deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss and anorexia. If left unchecked, hypervitaminosis A has in some cases caused death.

Macadamia Nuts The toxic compound is unknown but eating as few as six nuts without the shell has been known to cause elevated body temperature, accelerated heartbeat, tremors in the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs have difficulty or are unable to rise, are distressed and usually panting.Some affected dogs have had swollen limbs and showed pain when the limb was manipulated. Dogs did recover from the muscle weakness and pain and it is not known if there have been any fatal cases. Macadamia butter is included in this warning.
Mouldy or Spoiled Foods The common mold found growing on many foods contain toxins such as Penicillium mold toxins or tremorgenic mycotoxins. Symptoms of poisoning include severe tremors and seizures that can last for hours or even days. This is considered an emergency and medical treatment is needed to control the seizures and detoxify the dog.

Spoiled foods can cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning are severe vomiting, diarrhea and shock.

Prevention is the best course, don't feed your dog moldy food left in the refrigerator and don't allow him to raid your garbage cans or compost bin (or your neighbor's).

Mushrooms Mushroom poisoning can be fatal if certain species of mushrooms are eaten. The most commonly reported severely toxic species of mushroon in the US is Amanita phalloides, but other Amanita species are also toxic. They can cause severe liver disease and neurologic disorders. The recommendation is to induce vomiting when these mushrooms are ingested and to give activated charcoal, as well. Supportive treatment for liver disease may also be necessary.
Nutmeg Nutmeg is reported to be a hallucinogenic when ingested in large doses. Nutmeg has been known to cause tremors, seizures and in some cases, death.
Nuts Nuts in general are not good for dogs as their high phosphorus content may lead to bladder stones.
Onions Onions cause hemolytic anemia, which means that the red blood cells break down leaving the dog short of oxygen. Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. The condition generally improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion. The poisoning may occur a few days after the dog has eaten the onion. At first dogs affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea, weakness and show little or no interest in food. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected dog's urine making it dark colored. The dog will experience shortness of breath because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number. Other symptoms are elevated body temperature, confusion, and increased heart rate. Seek veterinary care immediately.

The quantity of onions, raw or cooked, required is high enough that dogs can generally tolerate small doses of onions without any problem and moderate amounts of onion without apparent signs of onion poisoning. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness.

While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.

Peaches The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
Pears The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
Plants Dogs can become extremely ill or even die from eating poisonous plants. Keep all unknown types of plants and any plants suspected of being poisonous out of reach of your pet.
Common Poisonous Plants List

Plastic Food Wrap Dogs have been known to ingest pieces of plastic wrap while trying to eat food remnants left on its surface. Plastic food wrap can cause choking or intestinal obstruction. Dispose of plastic wrap in a manner that your dog or other animals cannot get to it.
Plums The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
Play Dough Home made play dough contains high levels of salt. When ingested this can cause salt poisoning which can be fatal.
Potatoes Solanum alkaloids can be found in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are quickly eliminated. Cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible.
Raisins or Grapes See Grapes
Rich Fatty Foods Rich, fatty foods can be very dangerous to dogs susceptible to attacks of pancreatitis. Often you may not know that your dog is susceptible until he is very sick with his first attack. It is often the smaller, more energetic breeds like miniature or toy poodles, cocker spaniels, miniature schauzers, and other small terrier-type dogs who seem particularly prone. However, any dog may have a problem. It is best to avoid these foods altogether.
turkey skin
bacon, sausages, hot dogs
fruit cake, plum pudding
deep-fried
Signs of pancreatitis generally include an acute onset of vomiting (sometimes with diarrhea) and abdominal pain, which may be evidenced as a hunched posture or "splinting" of the abdomen when picked up. The dog may become very sick quickly and often needs intensive fluid and antibiotic therapy.
Rhubard Leaves
Salmon (Raw) Commonly called "Salmon Poisoning Disease" (or SPD), this can be a problem for anyone who feeds their dog a raw meat diet that includes raw salmon, but it is mostly seen in the Pacific Northwest and California. The cause is infection by a rickettsial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. The rickettsial organism does not directly infect the dog but is carried instead by a parasite (a flatworm or fluke) called Nanophyteus salmincola through two intermediate hosts - freshwater snails and salmonid fish.

Nanophyteus salmincola are found to infect some species of freshwater snails. The infected snail is ingested by the salmon as part of the food chain. Neither the fluke nor the rickettsial organism are lethal to the fish. The dog is exposed only when it ingests the secondary host - an infected fish. After the dog ingests the fish, the encysted fluke larvae burst and embed in the dog’s intestinal tract and the rickettsia are introduced. The cycle continues when ova are excreted in dog feces to infect more snails.

A sudden onset of symptoms occur 5-7 days after ingestion of fish. Initial symptoms include lethargy and anorexia. Peaking of temperature between 104-107 in the first two days and then slowly returns to normal. Persistent vomiting by the fourth day. There is bloody diarrhea within a few days of vomiting onset. The diarrhea is often bright yellow color. There are enlarged lymph nodes.

In the acute stages, gastrointestinal symptoms are quite similar to canine parvovirus. Nasal and ocular symptoms can resemble canine distemper. If left untreated, SPD has a mortality rate of up to 90%. SPD can be diagnosed with a fecal sample and is treatable if caught in time. Treatment may include supportive hydration, an antibiotic to kill the rickettsial organism, and a "wormer" to kill the parasite. Improvement may be seen in as little as two days.

Prevention is simple, cook all fish before feeding any to your dog. If you are outdoors hiking or camping or live near streams and rivers were salmon spawn, keep a close eye on your dog on don't let your pet run free to insure that no fish carcasses are ingested. Please see your vet immediately if you suspect your dog has ingested raw salmon.

Salt Iodized salt and salty foods can cause stomach ailments and pancreatitis. Some dogs, especially large breeds, have been known to gulp too much water after eating salty foods and developed a life threatening condition called bloat during which the stomach fills with gas and twists, leading to a painful death unless emergency treatment is received immediately.
Table Scraps Table scraps are not a nutritionally balanced diet for a dog. If fed at all scraps should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat and all cooked bones discarded. Also see "Rich, Fatty Foods" above.
Tobacco Products Cigarettes and cigarette butts, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and chewing tobacco can be fatal to dogs if ingested. Signs of nicotine poisoning can appear within an hour and include hyperactivity, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Advanced signs include muscle weakness, twitching, collapse, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest. If anyone who lives in or visits your home smokes, tell them to keep tobacco products out of reach of pets and to dispose of butts immediately. If you suspect your dog has ingested any of these seek veterinary treatment immediately.
Tomatoes and Tomato Plants These contain atropine which can cause dialated pupils, tremors and irregular heartbeat. The highest concentration of atropine is found in the leaves and stems of tomato plants, next is the unripe (green) tomatoes and then the ripe tomato.
Water Yet another surprise to find on the Bad Foods List is water, but there are dangers lurking in water that you need to be aware of.

Stagnant water in ponds, bogs, small lakes, canals, seasonal creeks and other places where water sets still may contain harmful bacteria (Leptospira interrogans) and parasites such as giardia.
Toilet water with freshner or cleaners in the tank or bowl contain toxic chemicals

Answer 2

Many people love the idea of owning a dog but one thing that they have to keep in mind often times, is that the dog needs to be trained. While the pet may look heart-breakingly cute when it's in a shelter or at the pound, picking out the dog is only the first part of the relationship between dog owner and the animal. Many people don't understand that they have to put time and effort into socializing the dog.

An unsocialized dog will intimidate others, tear up the home, and will create an environment that can become so bad that the it will have to be returned. Many times when dogs have to be returned to shelters or to other resources, it will end up euthanized, which is very heartbreaking. All of this can be spared if a person learns the various techniques in order to socialize the dog.

One thing that they have to understand is that the he wants to be told what to do. It's in the canine nature to follow a leader. The dog will be more than willing to obey the leadership of its master. Here's a look at some common techniques that are used in dog training:

"Dog Whispering"

This is a technique that has been around for a while, but gained national notoriety over the last 10 years. Some people might hear this term and wonder how in the world whispering to a dog can train it! Whispering isn't meant to be taken literally in this case. As trainers have shown, whispering is a term that refers to connecting with a being or an entity on a very deep and almost spiritual level. When it comes to dog training techniques, dog whispering involves careful observation of the dog's behavior and actions.

It literally entails getting inside the mind and the behavior system of the canine. When a person uses dog whispering techniques, they interact with the dog on the canine level. Again, one the most common mistakes that people make is treating the dog like a small human being.

"Reward Training"

Reward training is very simple and it's one of the older tricks that works. This is a simple method of training the dog by positive reinforcement. Once he does what it is told to do, it receives a treat. How this works is that the dog owner must entice the dog towards the treat. Once the canine develops awareness for the treat, it develops a strong desire for it. When the desire for it is extremely strong, the dog owner pulls back. Then the dog receives a command and when the dog obeys the command, it receives the treat. The object is to make the dog associate a treat with the command.

"Clicker Training"

Other dog training techniques include one that is similar to reward training, which is called clicker training. How this works is that the clicker is incorporated to get the dog's attention. The clicker is clicked as a form of communication with the dog. It learns that there is a command or reward associated in conjunction with the clicker. Many people claim that this is fun, and they actually make a game with the dog by using the clicker for their dog training tasks.

"Ultrasonic Whistle"

Last, a relatively new form of dog training technique is called the ultrasonic whistle. This works because the ultrasonic sound is only heard by the dog. When the owner is trying to communicate a command, or stop the dog from barking, they will blow on their whistle when they want to communicate a command to the dog. The benefit of this is that the humans can't hear this noise, but the dog can hear it, and they will learn to associate the sound with a command.

Dog training techniques aren't hard to incorporate, but they are something that absolutely must be incorporated from the time a dog owner brings their new dog home. No matter how old or how young the dog is, they will need training. Once they are trained properly, they will be a wonderful addition to one's family.

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Answer 3

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A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 4

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. (Plus the caffiene, caffiene isn't good for animals, because it is another type of stimulant)

And yes, it's okay to feed vegetables, just not 100% of the time. Maybe a snack here and there every other day.
The fruits and Veggies to avoid are, onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts.... and don't let them eat the stems or seeds of Apples, cherries, apricots, peaches or plums.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why is chocolate bad for dogs?
And is it safe for dogs to eat fruits and vegetables?
Other foods you shouldn't give dogs?

Answer 6

Unfortunately for dogs chocolate tastes really, really good, but chocolate is not really poisonous, not like cyanide. That doesn't change the fact that it can kill your dog. It is theobromine that is harmful to dogs, if you can find chocolate without it you'll have the happiest dog in town. Theobromine is a stimulant found in the coca plant.

Answer 7

Safe for dogs to eat fruit and veg the only main one u cant give them is onion. The onion can cause very bad gastro problems and can lead to death. As for chocolate that can cause a dog to have a heart attack, so its a no no too! Dont give dogs anything to rich! if u need to mix it with some dry food or rice or something. It will be better for them and a lot better for when u have to clean up their....

Answer 8

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/OlhCJ

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 9

1

Answer 10

hi there!
chocolate is bad for dogs for a couple of reasons. one is that dogs are lactose intolerant, and the other is that the high sugar content in chocolate is bad for dogs. almost everything with dairy products is bad to give ur dogs, with the exception of the occasional raw egg, few scoops (teaspoons) of natural unsaltes/sugared cottage cheese or teaspoons of natural asidopholis yoghurt.
veggies are fantastic for dogs! raw veggies are much better than cooked veggies, although u will want to stich away from onions! i feed my dog BARF raw meat (BARF is the brand and its fantastic!! www.barf.com.au) i also finely chop some raw carrot, broccoli and pumpkin, spinach or caulliflower and occasionally mix in a raw egg. when u cook the veggies it takes out the nutrients that r beneficial to a dogs health. cooked veggies arent necessarily bad for dogs, its just that raw ones are better.
foods to stick away from completely are:
onions
avocados
grapes, raisins & saltanas
dairy
suggary, processed foods
these foods are poisenous to dogs and can cause death, even in smalll doses. i hope i was able to help with ur enquiry!

Answer 11

chocolate turns into a toxin in a dog's bloodstream and can eventually poison them. As well as onions. I found this out from my vet.