Does chocolate really poisonous to dogs?

Question

if it is, what kind of chocolate and how many of it could be poisonous to dogs? and any other food could be poisonous to dogs too? If u could, please give me a valid info, cause i usually share my food and drinks with my babies.. Thanks people :)

Answer 1

It is, yes. All chocolate has the potential to be poisonous to dogs, though just how poisonous depends on the cocoa content. If, by 'sharing your food and drinks' you mean that they get the occasional crumb of chocolate cake/biscuit or a lick of ice-cream, then that's not an issue. It's when the dog gets hold of, say, a block of chocolate or something that you can start to see serious problems.

I've also copied one of my previous answers- tells you why chocolate is toxic, and how much you need to see problems:

Chocolate contains substances called methylxanthines- theobromine & caffeine.

They both inhibit an enzyme called phosphodiesterase, which results in increased activity in the skeletal and heart muscles, and cause central nervous system stimulation, resulting in tachycardia (increased heart rate), cardiac arrhythmias and eventually seizures. Seizures can contribute to further problems by causing hyperthermia (increased temperature) which leads to further damage.

A lethal dose of theobromine is about 100-200mg/kg for dogs and about 80-150mg/kg for cats. The darker the chocolate is, the more theobromine it contains- milk chocolate is not 'safe', but an awful lot would have to be eaten to cause problems. However, about 150-200g of dark chocolate would theoretically be enough to kill a cat or small dog.

ADD: and for everyone who's said things to the effect of "it's not as bad as people make out", you haven't seen it. I've seen more than one small breed dog in status epilepticus (seizures as bad as they get) after eating a block of dark choc pinched off a kitchen bench. It's a horrible, horrible thing to see, even for someone trained to deal with it. If there's enough cocoa in it, it really doesn't take much, trust me!

And: 'dog chocolate' is made with carob. They make carob stuff for humans too...actually tastes quite good!

Answer 2

My brother had 2 beautiful yellow labs, and his mother in law thought it would be "cute" to feed Sniffers and Princess chocolate, in front of her grandchildren. Princess died-cause of death? chocolate. It is not a myth, it is not a joke. The amount ingested increases the risk of fatality. Sniffers made it, with medical intervention, but there is an entire list of foods and plants that will kill dogs. Aloe vera plants are harmful, will cause explosive bowels and dehydration if ingested.

Check the AKC website. Also, your vet should have a list. Sharing human food with your dogs is not a good idea, just for the gastric upsets alone. If you love your babies, consult either a local professional breeder (not a "backyard" breeder) or your vet. Your dogs may eat the food you give them, and seem to enjoy it even, but could be laying there with severe heartburn as a result. Also, bird feeder fodder, the gunky mess beneath a birdfeeder-is very awful for dogs, they will eat it with great enthusiasum, and then be "sick as a dog" afterward to the point that you think they are dying.

There are national breed clubs, and many have detailed websites with breed specific information. German Shepherd Dog club of America, the International Olde English Bulldogge Association, the AKC, and local Kennel Clubs are happy to give any information requested.

Answer 3

It is toxic. Some dogs are less sensitive to it, and bigger dogs can handle more. It isn't an allergy. Milk chocolate has less cocoa and less of the toxic substance so it can take a lot of milk chocolate to make some dogs sick, but dark chocolate is more dangerous and bakers chocolate even worse. There is no point to give chocolate. It is fatty and sugary, and it just puts unnecessary stress on the liver even if the dog isn't sick. There are much better options for treats!!

Answer 4

Almost all kinds of chocolate, and if I remember from the vet tech class I took several years ago; it was one ounce of chocolate per ten pounds of dog to be deadly; sometimes less, depending on the type of chocolate.

A high number of dogs are also lactose intolerant, so snacks like cheese should be limited as well. Raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, avocados (especially the pit), macadamia nuts, and caffienated drinks can all be toxic to dogs, so no coffees, sodas, or teas.

Liver is fine in small portions, but it is so high in vitamins A and D that it can be dangerous in large portions. Also never give a dog poultry bones, which are prone to splintering and can kill your dog. Meat bones are less likely to splinter, but it can still happen, so if you DO give your dog a meat bone, supervise it carefully and take it away before it gets small enough to swallow.

Good luck, I hope this helps!

Answer 5

Chocolate is bad, but not as bad as people act. It typically has more effect on large breeds. Also American milk chocolate has so little cocoa in it that its hardly dangerous at all in small quantities. Bakers or dark chocolate should be avoided.

Onions are rather toxic-they kill red blood cells causing anemia
Same for garlic, but the effect is less.

Fruit pits and seeds (ie. apple cores, peach pits) are poisonous.

Uncooked dough can expand in the stomach even at normal dog temperature which can easily kill a dog.

Most of the other stuff is common sense and wont really be a problem unless you overdo it. Remember, most thing that affect us mildly (such as alcohol) have a greater affect on dogs. Dont feed them lots of iron rich foods (like broccoli) or sugary or high caffeine foods. Watch out for onion powder-its in lots of stuff. Just use common sense and watch out for the major danger items and you'll be fine.
(This is not intended to be a complete list---research before giving snacks).

Note about bones: Poultry bones are no different than any other bone. No uncooked bone will splinter, and ALL cooked bones of any animal and any cooking method will splinter. If youre going to give bones only give raw bones. These can be eaten fully by the dog with no danger. This provides essential nutrients as well.

Answer 6

Human chocolate contains a ingredent called Cocoa. Cocoa is dangerous to dogs if given in large amounts evan in small dose’s it will poison the dog and that would eventually lead to death. If toy really want to feed her dog chocolate tell her to go to the local pet store and by dog chocolate or dog chocolate covered biscuits. Dog chocolate does not contain any cocoa so it is harmless to the dog and they enjoy it very much

Answer 7

Chocolate can not only make a dog sick, for some it can be deadly. It is any type of chocolate, and it goes by volume verses body mass. Smaller dogs need less to make them quite sick than a larger dog does. Also, pure chocolate (like candy) is much more potent to a dog than something like chocolate cake.
If your dog gets into chocolate of any type, call your local vet immediately.

Answer 8

Chocolate has toxins, but it isn't as lethal as people often think. (Some people think chocolate is like instant death for dogs.)

Chocolate is only lethal in high doses. The chemical theobromine is the toxic portion. Milk chocolate has less theobromine than dark chocolate. Bakers chocolate has more theobromine than both dark and milk chocolate. So bakers chocolate is the worst for dogs to have, and milk chocolate is less dangerous.



The below text (between the double lines) is quoted from: http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOGS/chocolatetoxic.HTM
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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.
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(White chocolate contains 1 mg of theobromine per oz. So that is virtually none. Esentially no risk of theobromine poisoning with white chocolate.)

The average candybar is under 2 oz and is made of milk chocolate. So unless the dog is under 2 pounds, it isn't a "toxic dose".

I still don't recommend giving a dog chocolate for treats though. It's not healthy. And it's sugary and fattening.
.

Answer 9

Certain chemicals found in chocolate are poisonous to dogs. The level of chemical is much higher in less processed chocolate such as baking chocolate. A couple mm's wont hurt them, but a block oh baking chocolate can easily be fatal.

Answer 10

Chocolate that humans eat is not good for dogs, but you can get dog chocolate drops and things like that - they are made with things that are safe for dogs to eat.