My dog ate chocolate peanut butter fudge....?

Question

She is a 100lb german shepard...there was quite a bit of fudge in the container and she is not really acting weird....just being lazy. I know that chocolate can kill a dog...but how? and what should i look for??

Answer 1

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"

Answer 2

Normally I would be the first one to jump up and say "take your dog to the vet!"
But, this is one issue I have mixed feelings about.
There is no doubt that dogs should NOT have chocolate and in mass quantities it can be fatal, particularly baking chocolate.
Back before everyone was so health conscious about their pets, my mother had a lab that she would give a chocolate candy bar to every single day. The dog loved it, never got sick, and lived to the ripe old age of 14.
We also once had a very hyperactive puppy who got into everything. My mother accidently left a sack of sugar on the counter. When we got home..you guessed it..the dog had eaten the WHOLE sack of sugar! She didn't get sick, didn't die, nothing horrible at all. She just raced around the house like on a sugar high.
So yes, dogs do get into things they shouldn't get into. And sometimes nothing happens. Other times, they are not so lucky.
I suppose if I were you, then I wouldn't rush him immediately to the vet just yet. I would closely watch him though and look for any signs that he is getting sick. I attached a link about chocolate poisoning that should be useful for you.
Good luck and I hope everything turns out fine.

Answer 3

hi I am a certified veterinary assistant and I am currently going to school to become a Veterinary Technician. Your dog should be fine. We have done studies in my chemestry class and a dog actually can eat at least twice as much as its body weight. I would just watch her and if things get worse instead of better after a week call your veterinarian. Im not saying your should feed your dog chocolate but its not something to really freat over. Remember milk chocolate ok, white and dark be carefull, baking chocolate if bad. But not as bad if already baked into something. hope this helps.

Answer 4

If it happened less than 20 min. ago put your dog in the bath tub, and make your dog drink hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Once the dog has thrown up ALL the chocolate make sure to keep your dog hydrated, and keep a close eye on your dog for any signs of poisoning. If it happened longer than 20-30 min. ago the dog needs to see a vet because the digestion process has already started and the chemical that is toxic to dogs from chocolate is already entering your dog's system.

Answer 5

Your fine. My dog ate a whole plate (over 40 cookies) of chocolate chocolate chip cookie. She did throw up but she was fine other wise. Its the alkaloids and caffeine in the chocolate that is toxic to dogs. A lethal dose for a 20-lb. dog requires 10,000mg of alkaloids. So for your 100 lb baby it would be 50,000mg.

Baking chocolate has the highest alkaloid content and the highest potential to make your dog seriously ill. One oz. of baking chocolate has a 400mg alkaloid content, 1 oz. of dark chocolate has 150mg, and 1 oz. of milk chocolate has 50mg.

Save the trip to the vet when your dog Really needs to go.

Answer 6

If your dog starts gagging or coughing it means the chocolate is acting up on her. I'm sure she will be fine but the chocolate probably upset her stomach. Give her Plenty of water so she can digest it faster. If she throws up you do not need to be worried it is a good thing it means her chocolate is out of her. Try not to feed her a lot because it will upset her stomach more.

Answer 7

it's said that chocolate can give a dog heart worms. they can eat peanut butter, however, so maybe that offset the chocolate a little bit. besides, that's a pretty big dog, i wouldn't dwell on it. just give her plenty of water to flush out her system. if ur still worried, call a vet. don't worry, their advice is free.

Answer 8

Large quantities can kill them , but they have to ingest 3 times their weight in order for it to be toxic.

A few Haloweens ago, my lab ate an entire bowl of haloween candy wrappers and all (Dang it, I TOLD my ex-husband to put it up high!). He had nasty diarhhea for 3 days but was fine (He's eaten a lot worse over the years...). I took him to the vet about a week later to have him x-rayd to make sure all of the wrappers had made it through.

Answer 9

My mom feeds her dogs chocolate all the time (Ice cream, M&M's etc...) and they are all still alive. I assume it could get sick if it ate too much. Just watch for diarreah or vomiting. If it happens take it to the vet. Give her a lot of water.

Answer 10

I think a dog eating chocolate is a wives tale all of my dogs have always eaten chocolate and have lived,just be sure to keep your dog full of vitamins and immunized and he/she will be fine.