Why Dogs Can't Eat Chocolate
By: Dr. Dawn Ruben
The worst a
Hershey bar can do to you is add an inch to your hips. But that same candy –
even in relatively small amounts – can make a dog very sick.
Make no mistake: For them, chocolate is poison.
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.
Symptoms of Poisoning
If your 50-pound dog gets his paws on a single chocolate-chip cookie, it
probably won't cause him serious problems. However, if he gobbles up more – a
pan of brownies, say – he may develop vomiting or
diarrhea.
Once toxic levels are reached, the stimulants kick in, and this is when you
really have to worry. Symptoms include: restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle
twitching, increased
urination and/or excessive panting.
If your pet isn't treated, he could go into a seizure –
possibly even die.
How Much Is Toxic?
The amount of chocolate that it takes to poison your pet depends on the type of
chocolate he's eaten and his weight. White chocolate has the least amount of
stimulants and baking chocolate or cocoa beans have the highest. Here is a list
of the most common sources of chocolate and the amount that leads to toxicity:
· White Chocolate. Mild signs of
toxicity can occur when 45 ounces per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe
toxicity occurs when 90 ounces per pound of body weight in ingested. This means
that a 20-pound dog would need to ingest at least 55 pounds of white chocolate
to cause nervous system signs. A 10-pound cat would need to ingest 27 pounds.
Yes, that is twenty seven pounds! White chocolate has very little real
chocolate in it. Therefore, the levels of caffeine and theobromine are very
low. Tremendous amounts of white chocolate need to be ingested in order to
cause toxic signs from chocolate. It is highly unlikely that white chocolate
ingestion will result in the toxic neurologic signs but, the severe gastrointestinal
effects from a high fat food develop with much less white chocolate ingestion.
· Milk Chocolate. Mild signs of
toxicity can occur when 0.7 ounces per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe
signs occur when 2 ounces per pound of body weight is ingested. This means that
a little less than one pound of milk chocolate can be toxic to the nervous
system of a 20-pound dog. A 10-pound cat would need to ingest 1/2 pound.
· Semi-Sweet Chocolate. Mild signs
of toxicity can occur when 1/3 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested.
Severe signs occur when 1 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. This
means that as little as 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate can be toxic to the
nervous system of a 20-pound dog. A 10-pound cat would need to ingest 3 ounces.
· Baking Chocolate. Mild signs of
toxicity can occur when 0.1 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. Severe
signs occur when 0.3 ounce per pound of body weight is ingested. Two small
one-ounce squares of baking chocolate can be toxic to a 20-pound dog. A
10-pound cat would need to ingest 1 ounce of baking chocolate. This type of
chocolate has the highest concentration of caffeine and theobromine and very
little needs to be ingested before signs of illness become apparent.
Even if your pet doesn't eat enough chocolate to induce toxicity, the candy's
high fat content may cause him to vomit or have diarrhea at much smaller
amounts than those shown. If that happens, watch him carefully. If his symptoms
don't clear up within eight hours, call your veterinarian (if your pet is very
small or young, call within four hours); aside from toxicity issues, you don't
want the animal to dehydrate. Try to be as precise as you can about the type of
chocolate the animal ate, how much he took and approximately when he ate
it.
The sooner you get help, the better off your pet will be. If the animal is
showing signs of toxicity, he has a good prognosis if he's treated within four
to six hours of ingestion. The effects of the chocolate can linger for 12 to 36
hours, though, so your pet may require hospitalization.
