Dog Care: The Dangers of Chocolate
by the American Animal Hospital Association


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Give chocolate to loved ones, and you could end up poisoning them. That is, if the loved ones are your pets.

Even small amounts of theobromine, an ingredient in chocolate, can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. Larger doses can be fatal. While most pet owners expect a dog to develop an upset stomach after eating a large amount of chocolate, few realize its toxic potential.

The lethal dose of theobromine depends on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate. Ounce for ounce, baking chocolate has six to nine times as much of the substance as milk chocolate does.

Estimates of the smallest amounts that can be fatal are:

4 to 10 ounces of milk chocolate or 1/2 to 1 ounce of baking chocolate for small dogs, such as Chihuahuas and toy poodles.

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of milk chocolate or 2 to 3 ounces of baking chocolate for medium-sized dogs, like cocker spaniels and dachshunds.

2 to 4 1/2 pounds of milk chocolate or 4 to 8 ounces of baking chocolate for large dogs, including collies and Labrador retrievers.
Cats have much different eating habits and seldom are poisoned by chocolate.
While a very small amount of chocolate may not harm some dogs, it's safest to avoid giving it to them at all. If an accident occurs, a veterinarian should be consulted. Treatment may require inducing vomiting, stabilizing the animal's heartbeat and respiration, controlling seizures and slowing the absorption of theobromine. If the animal already is comatose, its stomach may need to be pumped.


Content provided by the American Animal Hospital Association

Wonder why chocolate doesn't bother cats and what the heck is theobromine?

Theobromine is chemically related to caffeine, with similar effects.

(((Hill))) thanks, knew about the dogs but didn't know it would affect bird too. No more diet pepsi for Banshee.

I know the ASPCA has a poison information hotline for animals, they do have a fee for using it, but didn't charge me as I was calling for information only as the animal had already died, but the vet was very helpful and had a lot of good information. Found it on Google. It is operated 24 hours a day also. FYI.

I am finding that little dogs are like little kids. They will eat just about anything if you don't watch them. I am saving on magic markers and helping my pets at the same time.