why can't dogs have chocolate and who says they cant?

Answer 1

it is ok for a tiny bit of chocolate, but too much chocolate in a dogs system can harm them.


Why chocolate poisons dogs and how to treat chocolate dog poisoning
While the pathetic begging look that goes across the face of a dog wanting chocolate can weaken the most stoic dog owner, stay firm. Do not give in. Ever.

Once dogs have tasted chocolate, they want more.

And for dogs, that's a bad thing.

You might disagree, thinking back to a time when you noticed a dog enjoying a tidbit of chocolate with no deleterious effect.

Don't be fooled.

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.

"Chocolate ingestions are one common reason why pet owners and veterinarians call us," said Dana Farbman, Certified Veterinary Technician and Manager, Client and Professional Relations, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. "However, it would be difficult to verify an exact ranking in frequency of calls, as the types of substances we receive calls on can vary greatly depending on many factors, including the time of year. We generally do experience somewhat of a rise in chocolate calls around holidays, such as Halloween, Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

Why is Chocolate Lethal?
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.

Symptoms of Chocolate Dog Ingestion and Poisoning
You can recognize that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate from the symptoms. Within the first few hours, the evidence includes vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes and there's increased absorption of the toxic substance, you'll see an increase in the dog's heart rate, which can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.

This can lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.

How Much Chocolate Is Deadly?
If a 50-pound dog eats a teaspoonful of milk chocolate, it's not going to cause serious problems. However, if that same dog gorges himself on a two-layer chocolate cake, his stomach will feel more than upset and soon it's likely he'll be vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.

To answer the question "How much is too much" is not simple. The health and age of your dog must be considered. Obviously if your dog is aged and not in top shape, his reaction to a plate of chocolate is going to be different from a young healthy dog of the same weight.

Another fact that must be considered is this: 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!

Here are a few other chocolates for you to ponder: hot chocolate, 12 mg of theobromine per ounce; milk chocolate, 60 mg/oz; and up there near baking chocolate: semi-sweet chocolate with 260 mg/oz.

You might try using this to remember these chocolates from least to most toxic: What Happy Moose Says BAA? Or: White-Hot-Milk-Semi-Baked. If you have a better way to remember, contact us!

Knowing which chocolate is the most toxic is important, but leaves one wondering how much must be eaten to poison a dog. The list in this box should be helpful. Maybe you can clip it and post it on your refrigerator?


White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

Answer 2

Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine. While we humans can metabolize and break it down so that it passes harmlessly out of our system, dogs cannot. With a high enough concentration of theobromine in their systems, they can experience problems with blood-clotting, or even death.

Generally speaking, the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. A lethal dose for a dog is usually 250 mg of theobromine for every kilogram of body weight. It would take a lot of milk chocolate to kill most dogs, but dark chocolate or unsweetend chocolate can be VERY dangerous.

The danger with giving dogs a treat with chocolate is that they come to like the flavor; if they should ever have the chance to eat too much, they will almost certainly take advantage of it if they have grown accustomed to the taste.

On the whole, I'd say to be safe, and don't give your dog any form of chocolate; try a different sort of treat instead, and your dog will be much safer in the long run.

As for "who says they can't" - THAT sounds like the question of a petulant child; wouldn't that be a question of common sense, making a decision not to consciously take a risk with your pet?

Answer 3

I say they can't, and so does anybody else who knows about the effects it can have on them.

Small amounts of chocolate are unlikely to hurt a dog, but the fact of the matter is that chocolate contains theobromine which is harmful to dog and cat kidneys and can do them a lot of damage. A large amount of chocolate (like a whole box for a small dog) or even small amounts regularly will be toxic to them, so best to avoid it all together - since it has no beneficial effects it's best to avoid it all together

http://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/library/chocolate-dog-poisoning.shtml

Chalice

Answer 4

DO YOU WANT TO HURT YOUR DOG? WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHO SAYS THEY CAN'T? TRY EVERY VET YOU ARE ABLE TO CONTACT. NOT CONVINSED THEN READ THIS:

''Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs

Every holiday season, veterinarians find an increase in accidental chocolate poisoning in our canine companions. Many people are still unaware of the danger chocolate poses for their furry friend even though it is the most commonly encountered poisoning (based on an evaluation of the reason for calls to the National Animal Poison Control Center).

The naturally occurring theobromine found in chocolate, cocoa beans, cocoa bean hulls, cola, and tea, is responsible for the poisoning effect in dogs. Dogs are unable to metabolize this element quickly enough to prevent poisoning. The lethal dose of this agent is determined by weight and falls roughly into the category of 250-500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. This equates to approximately 2/3 to 1 1/3 oz bakers chocolate for every 2.2 pounds though signs of poisoning begin to appear at a much lower ingestion levels. Please see chart below for breakdown of theobromine levels by chocolate type.

The first signs of poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea, increased urination, lethargy and depression, and muscle tremors. This can progress to cardiac arrhythmias and seizures leading to death. Though most symptoms will begin to appear within two hours it can take as long as twenty four hours for symptoms to appear and up to three days for recovery. As theobromine metabolizes slowly in dogs symptoms may be slow in appearing- do NOT be fooled into thinking everything is ok. Early attention and treatment can make the difference in saving your companion’s life...Essentially this means that as little as 4.5 ounces of a candy bar (two snack sized bars) or even 4 ounces of hot chocolate powder can be poisonous to a small dog! Please call your veterinarian if you suspect that your dog has eaten any chocolate."

Answer 5

There's a chemical in it that is known to be deadly to dogs.

However, my miniature dachshund who is only 8 pounds and 12 ounces has snuck whole hershey bars and downed them with no effect whatsoever. I brought her to the vet the first time and they were going to give her a shot that made her puke, but she looked perfectly normal so they said to not do it again.

I think that it's different for each dog. Probably not a good idea to try it, you might be sorry in the end. Good luck! :)

Answer 6

Becase it KILLS them

theresa toxin in the choclate that will kill a dog or cat -don't mess with animals choclate even small amounts can kill an animal.
Everyones says it especially vets - if you want your dog to have special choclate like treats - you can buy carob treats in pet stores that look like choclate & are ok for animals to eat

Answer 7

You're not supposed to feed dogs chocolate because it causes them to go blind and deaf. It's bad for us but it is toxic to them. Also it can cause or enhance seisures. Dont ever give in to the cute faces, they might think you're mean, but actually you're doing them a favor.

Answer 8

While the pathetic begging look that goes across the face of a dog wanting chocolate can weaken the most stoic dog owner, stay firm. Do not give in. Ever.

Once dogs have tasted chocolate, they want more.

And for dogs, that's a bad thing.

You might disagree, thinking back to a time when you noticed a dog enjoying a tidbit of chocolate with no deleterious effect.

Don't be fooled.

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.

"Chocolate ingestions are one common reason why pet owners and veterinarians call us," said Dana Farbman, Certified Veterinary Technician and Manager, Client and Professional Relations, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. "However, it would be difficult to verify an exact ranking in frequency of calls, as the types of substances we receive calls on can vary greatly depending on many factors, including the time of year. We generally do experience somewhat of a rise in chocolate calls around holidays, such as Halloween, Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

Why is Chocolate Lethal?
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.

Symptoms of Chocolate Dog Ingestion and Poisoning
You can recognize that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate from the symptoms. Within the first few hours, the evidence includes vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes and there's increased absorption of the toxic substance, you'll see an increase in the dog's heart rate, which can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.

This can lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.

How Much Chocolate Is Deadly?
If a 50-pound dog eats a teaspoonful of milk chocolate, it's not going to cause serious problems. However, if that same dog gorges himself on a two-layer chocolate cake, his stomach will feel more than upset and soon it's likely he'll be vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.

To answer the question "How much is too much" is not simple. The health and age of your dog must be considered. Obviously if your dog is aged and not in top shape, his reaction to a plate of chocolate is going to be different from a young healthy dog of the same weight.

Another fact that must be considered is this: 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!

Here are a few other chocolates for you to ponder: hot chocolate, 12 mg of theobromine per ounce; milk chocolate, 60 mg/oz; and up there near baking chocolate: semi-sweet chocolate with 260 mg/oz.

You might try using this to remember these chocolates from least to most toxic: What Happy Moose Says BAA? Or: White-Hot-Milk-Semi-Baked. If you have a better way to remember, contact us!

Knowing which chocolate is the most toxic is important, but leaves one wondering how much must be eaten to poison a dog. The list in this box should be helpful. Maybe you can clip it and post it on your refrigerator?


White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

CJMF 6/03

Answer 9

I have owned dogs and gave them chocolate and it did nothing to them : poodle, beagle, shepherd/chow mix.

A friend had a couple of big dogs that ate a LOT of chocolate and they passed out but fine other than that.

Maybe it depends on the breed and/or amount to say whether they could die or not, or get seriously ill.

Answer 10

A little bit, like a malteser won't hurt. It is just if you give them loads and loads that it is supposed to be damaging. I don't know what it does but it can't be very good for their teeth either!