Why do people say chocolate is harmful to dogs?

Question

I have a toy poodle. He LOVES chocolate. He has opened presents with chocolate in them, he can even open hershey kisses without eating the wrapper. I even give him chocolate ice cream but nothing ever happens. Is it just the type of dog or does chocolate actually do nothing to dogs?

Answer 1

We've all heard it, "Don't give your dog chocolate it will kill him". We'll how true is it you're probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M's?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

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

Treatment

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the the proper treatment for your pet.

IN SHORT: Don't feed your dog chocolate if you love him!

Answer 2

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.
Why take that chance...

Answer 3

Congratulations! You have been slowly poisoning your dog! Lucky for you, you didnt accidentally give him a lethal dose... He is a small dog so I am sure you came close a couple times. It is the theobromine within chocolate that can seriously hurt your dog and cause acute illness and death.. it isnt that chocolate is bad for dogs, its TOXIC to dogs. In small amounts it wint harm them but in larger amounts and darker chocolate the risk increases. Its not a joke, its not a myth and its not a fact to be disregarded because you give your dog chocolate and nothing has happened YET. Something deadly will occur if you give your dog enough chocolate to constitute a lethal dose. In any case there is no reason to give a dog chocolate, my dogs love to eat cat crap but I dont give it to them because they can get parasites etc. there are thousands of brands of dog treats, there are even treats which are fake chocolate that has no cocoa and is safe for dogs to eat. They are called Vita-kraft chocodrops. In any case thank your lucky stars your ignorance hasnt killed your dog, because if you had given him just the right amount to be lethal he would be dead or you would be stuck with a vet bill you had to pay to fix your dog after unwittingly feeding him a toxic dose of theobromine...

Answer 4

Chocolate contains a xanthine compound, theobromine, that is toxic in sufficient quantities. Examples of other xanthine compounds are caffeine and theophylline. The toxicity from all of these compounds is similar. It takes a fairly large amount of chocolate to cause problems.

Xanthines affect primarily the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. There is a diuretic effect as well. So the sign seen with toxicity include hyperexitablility, hyper irritability, increased heart rate, restlessness, increased urination, vomiting and muscular tremors or tenseness. Under some circumstances these signs can lead to secondary problems like hyperthermia. In severe cases, seizures or cardiac arrest can occur. Death can result from severe intoxication.

Answer 5

It may not look like it is harming him but dogs have and allergy to something in chocolate. Ask your vet what it is exactly but I know it's not just a myth.

Answer 6

It takes large quantities of chocolate to make dogs sick and it can be fatal.
Just because he likes it doesn't mean it is good for him. It may be cute, but it's not in the dog's best interest to allow him to do this.

Answer 7

Chocolate takes 8 hours to digest in the human body. For dogs it takes 12 hours. This requires a lot of work from the kidney. It is also very fattenning. If a dog has chocolate and has kindney problems there is a pretty good chance the dog might die. You can feed your dog chocolate, but just a little amount each day. Make sure the dog gets plenty of exercise to burn off the fat he gained from the chocolate he ate.

Answer 8

Too much can cause cardiac arrhythmias and kill a dog. Dogs are smaller than humans,so the caffeine in a human size candy bar is a massive dose to them. In small quantities it doesn't hurt, but in large quantities it is dangerous. Would you give your poodle ten cups of espresso to drink? No, it would kill her. The same with too much chocolate. Think of chocolate in terms of caffeine content compared to their weight. One hershey kiss won't kill her , but a bag full might.

Answer 9

Because it is!!!!
I am not sure of all the technical stuff but I do know that it is a bad thing to give a dog chocolate.

Answer 10

Chocolate is like poison to a dog. They may like it but it can kill them. I have no idea how your dog is fine. You should have him checked out by your vet and you have to STOP feeding him chocolate. If you care about your dog you would take him to the vet and replace chocolates with dog treats.