why can't dogs eat chocolate?

Question

my dog licked some
not sure if he actually ate some
but it was a small piece
would he be ok
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i just wanna clear out
i didn't give it chocolate
he found it somewhere on the ground
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Answer 1

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.

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.

**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

In addition to a high fat content, chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, two different types of stimulants that affect the central nervous system and the heart muscle, as well as increasing the frequency of urination.
theobromine is toxic to a dog when it ingests between 100 and 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Answer 3

Your dog will be ok!!!!!!



Dogs cannot process the Theobromine in chocolate. Dark chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate, but all chocolate contains Theobromine, and is toxic to pets.

Theobromine, a component of chocolate, is the toxic compound in chocolate. (Caffeine is also present in chocolate, but in much smaller amounts than Theobromine.)
Theobromine's effect on the body:

Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant
Cardiovascular stimulant
Increase blood pressure (mild)
Nausea and vomiting


Are some chocolates more toxic than others?

Yes. Unsweetened (baker's) chocolate contains 8-10 times the amount of Theobromine as milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate falls roughly in between the two for Theobromine content. White chocolate contains Theobromine, but in such small amounts that Theobromine poisoning is unlikely. Caffeine is present in chocolate, but less than Theobromine

How much is too much?

The toxic dose of Theobromine (and caffeine) for pets is 100-200mg/kg. (1 kiliogram = 2.2 pounds). However, various reports by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) have noted problems at doses much lower than this - i.e. 20mg/kg.

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 (at higher levels of Theobromine toxicity)
Muscle spasms
Seizures
Coma (rare
Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities

Why isn't chocolate toxic to humans?

Humans can break down and excrete Theobromine much more efficiently than dogs. The half life of Theobromine in the dog is long; approximately 17.5 hours.

Keep your pet's best interests at heart...chocolate wasn't meant to be shared anyway (grin).


http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/nutritiondogs/a/chocolatetoxici.htm

Answer 4

There is an alkaloid in chocolate called theobromine that is poisonous to animals in large amounts. Cacao beans are a natural source of theobromine, as well as other caffeine-rich foods such as coffee, tea and soda. Theobromine poisoning is uncommon among humans because we are able to digest theobromine in significant amounts without harm. The reason animals such as dogs receive theobromine as a toxin is because it cannot be metabolized effectively in their systems.
I think your dog should be OK because he only consumed a small amount of chocolate.

Answer 5

There's a certain chemical in chocolate. If it was only a little piece, he should be fine. My dog once ate part of a Hershey's bar, and he was fine. We were worried, of course, calling the doctor and everything, but the doctor said it would be okay. Hope your dog is okay too!

Answer 6

A dog's stomach is not capable of digesting chocolate. Actually, it's a poison to them. A little bit of chocolate will give your dog diarhrea, and it at enough, it might die.

Since your dog just licked it, it should be fine.

Answer 7

Just licking or a small piece won't do anything. But chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine that can make your pet vomit a great deal and if they got into a large amount of it, could potentially kill them.

Answer 8

he should be ok bu8t be careful from now on. there is a chemical in chocolate that is bad for them (cant remember the name). but the main reason to keep choclate away is so that they dont try and find it once they have had it. now that the dog has tasted it and knows how good it is, you can leave choclate around or he might eat it

Answer 9

my dog ate an oreo and 5 years later...shes fine

Answer 10

Some doc told me that if dogs eat milk they get diarrhea, and chocolate has milk