Is it true that dogs cant have chocolate?

Answer 1

Absolutely true, it is toxic. There is a substance in chocolate called theobromine. The smaller the dog, the darker the chocolate, the more consumed, the less likely they are to survive. It increases the heartrate and causes excessive urination which leads to dehydration and possibly kidney failure.
http://www.risingwoods.org/OURFAMILY/THEDOGS/knowntoxicfoodsfordogs.htm
http://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/library/chocolate-dog-poisoning.shtml
Even a small amount is bad because it causes the animal to crave chocolate then it gorges if / when the opportunity presents.

Answer 2

Though chocolate may not be as poisonous as cyanide for dogs, the fact remains that a large quantity of chocolate may be really harmful for the dog and may even kill the pet. Chocolates contain theobromine, a stimulant found in the cocoa bean which is what is harmful to the animal. Theobromine is not to be confused with caffeine as it does not contain caffeine and is not as useful for a rush that a cup of coffee gives you during a late night preparation for an examination.

The two animals that are greatly affected by theobromine are dogs and horses. Theobromine acts as a boost in horses and as such is a banned substance in horse racing. Unlike dogs, horses can put up with a higher quantity of chocolate since it is a bigger animal.

A small piece of chocolate may not make any visible impact on dogs unless of course the animal eats something else while 'high' on chocolate. However, large doses of chocolate may make the dog’s system purge the theobromine that is damaging to the animal. Apart from crying the dog may vomit and may have diarrhea also. Other symptoms of large doses of chocolates are increased urination in the animal and muscle twitching and excessive panting.

However, the dog may not die from these symptoms. They are just warning signals. If one ignores those symptoms and does not take the animal to a vet eventually its heart may beat too fast and can give out. This is especially so in older dogs. Usually the increased heartbeat may follow the initial symptoms, when the excessive theobromine gets absorbed into the blood stream. Hopefully now you know why chocolates are not meant for dogs. It could kill the poor animal, put it in a comma, or cause seizures. Be careful!!

Answer 3

Yes, chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs, cats, birds and many other small animals. Dogs are more prone to chocolate poisoning because they usually like sweet stuff and have the ability to find chocolate easily. They cannot metabolize theobromine as fast as a human can, and the compound stays in their body for almost 18 hours, causing more damage. The first signs of poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, excitability, and excess urination. Later they may have epileptic seizures, rapid and irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia), heart attack, internal bleeding in GI tract, followed by coma or death. Unsweetened chocolate has the most theobromine (450 mg per oz) and milk chocolate the least (45-60 mg per oz). If a dog ingests anywhere from 20 mg (small dog) to 200 mg and above theobromine, it should be taken to a hospital immediately to have its stomach pumped. An occasional M&M won't hurt a dog, but a bar of chocolate would be bad.

Answer 4

My dog ate 3/4 of a pan of double chocolate brownies one day. I have always heard that chocolate is bad for dogs so I started freaking out, but my bf told me that she would puke it up soon and I shouldn't worry... I don't know why he thinks he knows so much.

But she didn't even puke. She went on with her life as though nothing happened. It's been over a month and I never noticed anything different about her.

Now, I'm not saying that chocolate isn't poisonous to dogs, because if your dog eats chocolate you need to seek the help of a vet ASAP, but a little chocolate is probably nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

Yes very true. Chocolate can kill the dogs if eaten. They would have to eat a lot of it normally. Small dogs may get sicker faster because they are small. To be safe keep it away from the dogs why chance it.

Answer 6

Yes, it's true. Chocolate can be toxic to dogs. The smaller the dog, the larger the portion the bigger the problem!

Answer 7

There's a certain type of chocolate that can be fatal, and rather than telling anyone which kind they can and cannot have, just think of all of them as dangerous. Now depending on the animal, a small little morsel won't hurt if it fell on the floor and they are the vacuum. Don't rush to the vet unless it was a whole cake or a gallon serving size.

Answer 8

yes its true. chocolate contains a chemical which is toxic to dogs. they can handle it in small amounts but alot of chocolate could kill your dog. Milk chocolate contains less toxins but dark baking chocolate could be fatal

Answer 9

It is true that they can't have chocolate. My friend gave her cat a kit-kat and the next week, she started vomiting and pooping everywhere uncontrollably! So NEVER feed your dog or cat chocolate!

Answer 10

Yeah, you'd do better in buying them some specialty dog biscuits. Dogs don't care what it is but they'll be happy you cared. Chocolate can really make them deathly sick.