My German Shepherd of 4 months just ate half a milk chocolate bar!?

Question

What can i do?

Answer 1

“My dog ate chocolate, is he going to die?”
by Sgt. Dale Kelly

Veterinary Clinic
You wake up on Easter morning and you head downstairs to watch the children open their Easter baskets. You stop in utter disbelief when you see that your mischievous puppy Spot has beaten everyone to the baskets and has eaten the first 16 ounce chocolate rabbit and has just started on the second one. You have heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, but is it true? What should you do next?

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

Toxic levels
The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine, 100-150 mg per pound of your animal, to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

White chocolate contains 1 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is 200 ounces of white chocolate per pound of body weight. For example 250 pounds of white chocolate will cause signs of nervous system poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds in a 10-pound dog.
Milk chocolate contains 60 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight. For example one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog; one-half pound in a 10-pound dog. Keep in mind that the average chocolate bar contains two to three ounces of milk chocolate. It would take two to three candy bars to produce toxicity in a 10-pound dog.
Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg per ounce of chocolate. The toxic dose is 0.3 ounces of semisweet chocolate per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 of pound for a 10-pound dog.
Baking chocolate contains 450 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is 0.1 ounces of baking chocolate per pound of body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

It would seem that it is all right to let your dog have a chocolate treat every now and then if it is the right kind and it is not very often.

The problem with feeding a dog chocolate as a treat is that it develops a liking for chocolate. Since dogs do not seem to be as sensitive to bitter tastes as humans, they may then eat the more toxic baker's chocolate or they may consume a toxic amount of milk or semi-sweet chocolate if it can get into an improperly stored supply.

What are the signs of toxicity?
Signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate ingestion.

* Excitement / nervousness / trembling
* Vomiting / diarrhea
* Excessive thirst / sometimes excessive urination.
* Muscle spasms
* Seizures
* Coma (rare)
* Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities.

How is chocolate toxicity treated?
If you suspect that your pet has eaten chocolate (more than the stray chocolate chip that fell on the floor), call your veterinarian for advice.
The toxicity of theobromine is dose dependent. This means that the size of your pet, the type of chocolate, and quantity of chocolate determine if or how toxic it is for your pet.
There is no specific antidote for theobromine toxicity. Medical treatments are supportive, and may include all or some of the following:

* IV fluids - to prevent dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, and /or increased urination, and to "flush" the theobromine out of the system.
* Emetics - medications that induce vomiting. Used when the ingestion of chocolate is within four hours. Up to eight hours post chocolate ingestion may be effective.
* Activated charcoal - for ingestion greater than four hours prior to treatment, or for patients that show continued signs of toxicity.
* Anti-seizure medications - for patients having seizures and/or muscle tremors.
* Cardiac medications - for patients exhibiting irregular heart rates or rhythms.

What is the prognosis for chocolate toxicosis?
The expected course of chocolate toxicosis is 12 to 36 hours depending on the dosage and effectiveness of treatment. Prognosis is good if the chocolate is removed within two to four hours of ingestion. Prognosis is guarded in animals with advanced signs such as seizures and serious heart dysfunction.
A National Animal Poison Control Center Hotline is available at 1-800-548-2423.
There is a modest fee for the service to support the Animal Poison Control Center.

Answer 2

Chocolate German Shepherd

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
My German Shepherd of 4 months just ate half a milk chocolate bar!?
What can i do?

Answer 4

Ditto on the dark chocolate. It's the dark chocolate that's the problem. Milk chocolate has other stuff in it, so it's diluted.... ummm.. Milk, actually.

Told my vet about a friends Beagle that ate a whole bag of hershey's kisses once. Foil and all. No problems, just sparkly poop for a few days. We thought she was a wonder dog to have survived, but the vet said it was because it was milk chocolate.

Answer 5

3 times a day is best for young puppies and especially German Shepherds. German Shepherds tend to vomit a little bile when they are too hungry. They need more frequent of feeding schedules. I might also suggest finding a higher quality puppy food. Look for one where the first, main ingredient is actual meat (no meat by-product).

Answer 6

Chocolate is toxic to dogs. You need to call your vet's office, there should be an emergency number on the recording for you to contact. Some dogs handle the toxicity of chocolate better than others. You do need to call...Good Luck.

Answer 7

Same thing happened to my dog except it was a whole bag of M&M's. I immediately contacted my vet and he said not to worry. M&M's are not 100% pure chocolate he will be find. And he was he got very sick and made a mess. But he was back to normal in a day. I will still contact your veternarian to see what he has to say.

Answer 8

Keep a close eye on it. My brother's Chow/Lab mix ate a bit more than that and other than a little poo on the carpet the dog was fine.Now keep in mind that dogs can be allergic to chocolate so just keep an eye on him/her. When in doubt see a vet.

Answer 9

It will NOT kill her. I can make her hyper because of the sugar and she may get the runs because of the milk in the chocolate but there isn't enough chocolate in 1/2 a bar of chocolate to kill her.

Answer 10

I believe that chocolate is more harmful to small dogs than big dogs, but It can still be deadly. I would get your dog to a vet, but It will probably be fine. My beagle once at a whole box of samoa girl scout cookies (they have chocolate), and didn't get sick or die.

Answer 11

u can either take ur dog to a vet or u can stay home and watch over ur dog. it will give them a bad stomache ache. ur dog make throw up or end up pooping alot so if u don't want to take it to the vet just watch over ur dog. also u would want to take away the food dishes. for now. ur dog also may be doing alot of laying down and not really be happy cuz it doesn't feel good