What to Do If Your Dog Eats Chocolate
With Halloween right around the corner, an abundance of chocolate candy might find its way into your household. If you aren’t careful where you store it, or your little ones leave it lying around, your dog might end up snacking on it. Most people know that if a dog eats chocolate, it is toxic to them. However, it is never really clear how much chocolate warrants a trip to the emergency room. How worried should you be if your dog eats a piece of chocolate this holiday season?
Why Is Chocolate Toxic to Dogs?
The caffeine and theobromine found in chocolate are the elements that dogs react to. Though both ingredients are toxic to dogs, the amount of theobromine present in the chocolate is the one you will need to consider.
How Much Chocolate Do I Need to Worry About?
In order to determine if the amount of chocolate that your dog ate needs to be handled as an emergency, figure this out. At a level of 9 milligrams per pound of the dog’s body weight, theobromine becomes toxic. A condition of severe toxicity occurs at a level of 18 milligrams of theobromine per pound of the dog’s body weight.
Determining Theobromine Content in Chocolate
If you know what kind of chocolate your dog ate and how big of a piece it was, you are off to a great start. The first thing to do is pay attention to how light or dark the chocolate is. This is because the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains.
This means that dark chocolate is more toxic to dogs than milk chocolate. Milk chocolate has about 60 mg. of theobromine per ounce. Dark chocolate raises this level up to 230 mg. per ounce of theobromine.
At 450 mg per ounce, baker’s chocolate contains the highest amount, making it the most toxic variety to canines.
Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs
If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten chocolate, look for the following signs:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Becoming very thirsty
- Panting heavily
- Urinating more than usual
- Accelerated heart rate
Very serious cases of chocolate poisoning may cause seizures, muscle tremors and heart failure.
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Chocolate?
There are several approaches you can take with this. If you want a quick answer from an expert, call the Pet Poison Helpline. They have experts available 24 hours, 7 days a week. However, know that it is going to cost you, to the tune of $75 per incident.
Another option is to use this chart, provided by Whole Dog Journal, to calculate how much theobromine your dog consumed, and therefore if he or she is in danger.
Lastly, if you decide that the amount of chocolate that your dog ate is something to be concerned about, you may want to go ahead and induce vomiting. Here are instructions from the AKC on how to do that.
When Is It Time to Go to the Vet?
If you have determined that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate and you can’t get them to throw it up, it is time to go to the vet. Also, if you don’t know how much or if it is a potentially large amount, do the same. Should your dog show any signs of chocolate poisoning, better safe than sorry.