Is it true about dogs and Chocolate?

Question

I have always herd that you can't give dogs chocolate because their systems can't digest it. Is this true or false?

If someone could show me some evidence one way or the other it would be appreciated.

Answer 1

NO, it;s actually because cacaotine( like caffeine but in chocolate) affects their nervous system giving them propension to seizures, lactose will give them severe diarrhea and sugar can make them "addicted" to sweets and they will jump on them at the very first chance, hence lowering their defenses and giving them higher chances to get canine diabete, that's some of the main reasons that make chocolate bad for a dog!

Answer 2

It is not anything to do withthe milk it is all to do with the chemical in chocolate called theobromine.
Theobromine is similar to caffeine. Theobromine is toxic to a dog when it ingests between 100 and 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. That is why some people do not find a problem in small amounts.
Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine: It would take 20 ounces of milk chocolate to kill a 20-pound dog, but only 2 ounces of baker's chocolate or 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate. It is not that hard for a dog to get into something like an Easter basket full of chocolate eggs and bunnies and gobble up a pound or two of chocolate. If the dog is small, that could be deadly.

It turns out that chocolate poisoning is actually not as unusual as it sounds. For a human being, caffeine is toxic at levels of 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. That's the same as for dogs! Humans generally weigh a lot more than dogs, but small children can get into trouble with caffeine or chocolate if they consume too much of it. Infants are especially vulnerable because they don't eliminate caffeine from the bloodstream nearly as quickly as adults.

Answer 3

It is true that real chocolate will kill a dog, but my lab/German Shepard has eaten a little bit of chocolate and been fine and my mom's friend's dog, a lab, has eaten chocolate before and did get an upset stomach from it one time. I think it depends on the breed. Chocolate is bad, but I think a little bit accidentally will not kill a large breed, but would kill a small breed. If you want to give your dog chocolate try carob, which can be found at your local pet store.

Answer 4

The problem, according to veterinary experts, is that eating a speck of chocolate leads a dog to crave more. It can mean that your dog will jump at a opportunity to get any type of chocolate, not knowing that certain chocolates are more lethal than other types.

Larger amounts of chocolate, particularly of the most
toxic type, can bring about epileptic seizures in some dogs, and in all dogs, can kill.

Poisoning of dogs by chocolate is not as uncommon as you might think.

I would even advise against giving your dog any kind of chocolate dog treats from the pet store... even if they are safe for dogs, you don't want yours getting used to the taste. They don't know the difference between good chocolate and bad.

The worst kind of chocolate is the kind you get for baking.

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For proof, check out the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center at:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_dyk

Answer 5

Yes this is true.

If your dog gets into a lot of chocolate it will break down their digestive system and cause renal failure.
But if your dog into a little bit of chocolate it probably will live, although i would not suggest feeding your dog any chocolate especially small dogs. : ]

for more info got to:

Dangerous foods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_health

Answer 6

The product that is actually toxic is Theobromine and yes, it is true. It depends on the SIZE of the dog to the AMOUNT and KIND of chocolate it eats.

To put it in perspective, a 20-pound dog would have to eat 1.8oz. of baking chocolate, 5.3oz. of dark chocolate, or 11.2 oz. of milk chocolate for it to actually be considered toxic. A 50-pound dog would have to eat 4.5oz. of baking, 12.8oz. of dark or 2.4lbs of milk chocolate for it to be toxic.

Toxcity signs that occur usually within around 12 hours of poisoning include: vomiting, diarrhea, tembling, excitement, nervousness, increased urination, muscle spasms, and seizures.

So, yes, your dog can eat that hershey kiss (.16oz) that fell on the floor and you don't have to freak out. But, I still wouldn't recommend giving your dog a piece of your chocolate bar every day regardless. :)

Answer 7

well i have read many things about it And some shows that talkabout it And they say its the 75% or more caocao in it that hurts dogs. Regular chocolate such as milk wouldnt effect dogs anyways My dogs love chocolate they have it atleast one every other month just small bits And it has never done any harm

Answer 8

Um I'm not sure what's up with this. My miniature dachshund can eat tons of chocolate, like a whole hershy bar at a time, and she has no problems. I think it depends on the dog and the breed. Chocolate can't be healthy for dogs, so it's better off away from them.

Answer 9

It does mess with their metabolism. A lot of chocolae to a small dog might kill it. A little chocolate to a big dog might be fine, or just give it diarrhea.

Answer 10

I know people say it's deadly but, my parents in law have a black lab that has eaten so much chocolate (he's sneaky) he should be dead by now! He even ate one of those huge chocolate Easter Bunnies...he just gets the poops...