Building up a chocolate tolerance?

[sumbirdy]

Sheesh, what a stupid thing to say.

The only reason humans can deal with chocolate and not dogs or cats, if they were interested in it, is because our bodies can expell the stimulants before it does harm to us. Dogs and cats aren't able to do this, it stays in their systems a lot longer and so can do the damage. Eating a bit of chocolate each day isn't going to change that.

The best thing for people to do is keep all cocoa and chocolate meant for people well out of reach of their pets. It isn't difficult really to keep stuff like that in an upper cupboard where a pet can't get to it.

I thought they were allergic to something in it...

[carole]

Dark chocolate can indeed be fatal to dogs, milk chocolate can be tolerated without any serious adverse effects, but honestly i think that vet is missing a few marbles up top myself, a very strange thing to tell someone to do, sure hope he told her not the dark chocolate.

[Canis-Lupess]

It is ths stimulant theobromine that is toxic to dogs. Basically, it affects the heart, causing it to speed up or beat irregularly. This is what can make the dog ill or even die if it causes the heart to stop. Exercise can bring this on.

If the human body didn't expell it faster, the same would probably happen to us too.

Milk chocolate is still dangerous to a degree but a dog can eat more of that than dark chocolate to be affected by theobromine poisoning.
I have heard of dogs get ill or even die just from eating some milk chocolate too.
I read about two english bulldogs who died within minutes of each other half an hour after being fed a piece of sponge cake with a bit of chocolate on top. They were champion showdogs too. The owner had several more and was a breeder but, feeding their dogs crap like that, they weren't very responsible with regards to diet and every dog owner should know about the dangers of chocolate but some people refuse to believe it because they always fed their dog chocolate and it didn't do anything to it yet.....

The owner of the bulldogs stated how the male dog that died had been fed a bar of chocolate every evening all of his life, he was 7, and it had never done anything to him before. What idiot feeds their dogs a bar of chocolate every day?

[Taz_Zoee]

I sure hope this vet is not telling her to do this just to get her business when the dogs get sick.

And a dog ate a chocolate bar EVERY night for 7 years and lived THAT long? That was luck!!!

Crazy!!!

[Canis-Lupess]

Tell me about it!!!

They were asking for it really. Hope they learned their lesson before they killed anymore dogs.

[dukedogsmom]

That's one of the dumbest things I've heard.

[Sophist]

A possible lead... this is just a shot in the dark, not sure about it, but after doing a little research I found out that the local University (just moved to a college town) recently partnered with one of those 'learn to be a vet tech online' programs... I guess one hospital is heavily 'training' these individuals.

I am thinking MAYBE some new, ignorant wannabe vet tech may have said something, and she took it as a vet? Only remotely possible explanation I can think of... I WILL find out from her one way or another, and making a call to the animal hospital she patronizes.

[king2005]

Not only does it effect their hearts, but they can go into "Pancritius Shock" (SP).

If anyone remembers my ex's family dog Cadeau (BM, mix), she got into chocolate before I knew them.. My ex said she was shaking, foaming at the mouth, & puking all over... he said it looked like she was having a seizure!
Luckly she made it to the vet on time & lived. But that was pure luck that she survived it after getting that bad.

Just like people, some dogs can handle chocolate longer/larger amounts the other dogs, but that aside, its still poison for them.

[Sophist]

She called in to work today (she said she was snowed in and couldn't make it... but she lives about 15 minutes away, and there is no snow anywhere near here I am aware of) so I am not sure when we will work together again.

[lizbud]

She called in to work today (she said she was snowed in and couldn't make it... but she lives about 15 minutes away, and there is no snow anywhere near here I am aware of) so I am not sure when we will work together again.

I think your should ask the name of her Vet who told her this & then
call the Vet yourself. No reputable Vet would tell her to do that.

[Freedom]

Find out the name of the vet.

I like the above suggestion, call the vet yourself and see if this is what he said or if there is some misunderstanding.

Then, based on the second reply, I would not hesitate to contact the state licensing board. At that point, the vet will have told you directly to give a dog chocolate, and you ahve good reason to file a complaint!

I hope youa re able to follow through on this, those poor doggies! what will she be doing "for" them next???

Sandra