Dogs and chocolate

[slleipnir]

So I've heard chocolate is bad for dogs and such...but how much do they need to eat before it's harmful?

While I was out, Josie got on my table and ate half a chocolate orange and 3-4 timbits (not sure if the US has Tim Hortons or not...but timbits are like bite sized donuts...I think there was a chocolate one, a powdered filling one and something else...) Do you think that is enough to harm her? What would I look for if something were to happen? I know I'm probably paranoid, but I'd like to know just in case....

Needless to say...Josie is going to bed without her supper....I don't think she needs anything after eating that!

[Taz_Zoee]

In my experience with chocolate and dogs, my mom's RB min pin, Kodi, ate about half a bag of chocolate chips. With his size that was too much for him. His heart was racing and he was shaking. We took him to the ER vet and they gave him something to make him throw up.
Our RB Cocker, DJ, got into a pan of brownies I had made. He didn't eat enough to have a reaction to it.
I would just suggest to keep an eye on Josie and watch for anything unusual in her behavior.
I do recall this topic being brought up before and someone mentioned they gave thier dog a full size candy bar everyday. So who knows?

[buttercup132]

It's only really harmful if your dog is allergic. Most dogs are that's why most react to it. There are dogs who have eaten whole chocolate cakes and not had a reaction. But just in case try and make her throw up and get it out of her system.

[Canis-Lupess]

It is the theobromine, a stimulant, found in the cocoa that is harmful and can cause irregular heart beating, speeded up heart beat and even heart failure.
A dog with theobromine poisoning will probably start to look generally ill with symptoms like vomiting etc..but I've read of cases where there was no warning and dogs just collapsed and died suddenly after appearing fine. This happened to two bulldogs who were fed a slice of spongecake with chocolate on top as a treat about half an hour before. They belonged to a breeder who had about 7 dogs in all and they should've known better than to be feeding rubbish like that to their dogs. Obviously the amount they consumed was far lower than what would be expected to make a dog their size ill and even more strange was that one of them used to get fed a bar of choc every evening all his life as a treat and it never did anything and then he died from this slice of cake. The other was a bitch. Both died about 7 minutes apart whilst out on a walk. The other dogs were unaffected.

Obviously, dark choc has higher amounts of theobromine in it than milk choc or white choc which has the least. Cocoa powder is the worst.
Obviously, you'll have learnt not to leave any chocolate anywhere where the dog can get to it now.

If your dog starts to look unwell, be sure to get to a vets straight away because theobromine poisoning can be severe.

Humans are ok with theobromine because our bodies excrete it before it has a chance to do harm to us. Dogs and cats can't but then cats aren't usually into sweet stuff because they don't really have tastebuds that taste for sugar and sweet things...being obligatory carnivores and all.

Here is a link with info about general amounts needed to do harm etc..although, as it states, dogs can die from eating smaller amounts.

Chocolate poisoning

Anyone who feeds their dogs choc bars each day needs their heads reading. Even without the theobromine danger, they're full of sugar, fattening and not a good substitute for proper food.

[slleipnir]

I'm not sure how I could make her throw up...?

I usually don't leave any food out where she can get it...I didn't think she could get this, but I was wrong obviously...it had been sitting there for a while now....not sure while she decided today to eat it. I'm pretty sure she's eaten choco before by accident and was fine...my grandmother feeds her dog chocolate as treats Anyway. You're right, it won't happen again. I hope she'll be ok...

[pitc9]

Hydrogen Peroxide will make your dog throw up; you only need a TINY bit!!
Sierra was about 65 pounds and it only took 2 or 3 laps of the tongue to make her throw up and it happened QUICK!!!
I'd give your vet a call to make sure inducing vomiting is the right thing to do.

[jackie]

Most store-bought "candy bars" (like Mars, Twix, M&Ms, etc) contain very very little cocoa, and I am sure chocolate orange falls into the same category. I don't think she will have a reaction, just keep an eye on her, and if she seems out of sorts, take her to the vets.

Don't with hold her regular food.

[Taz_Zoee]

Anyone who feeds their dogs choc bars each day needs their heads reading. Even without the theobromine danger, they're full of sugar, fattening and not a good substitute for proper food.

Oh trust me, I agree with this. I was not saying it was a good thing at all. LOL

[Seravieve]

Funny that this gets posted.. Zeke got some "no-Bake" cookies right off of my mom's counter on Saturday. He ate about 10-15 Id say. J and I were gone, but 20 or so minutes later we got back and gave him hydrogen peroxide, as these cookies have cocoa powder in them. He never once threw up. Not sure why. We actually gave him a 2nd dose of HP to see if he just didnt get enough. Nothing. He's fine and still kicking. Never once got sick or looked out of the ordinary.

Our dalmatian used to get candies from us when we were little. And she never had an adverse reaction either.

[Canis-Lupess]

Yes, lots of people say they feed their dogs choc and they're fine but a dog can eat choc for years with no ill effect and then suddenly die from it...like the bulldog I wrote about above.

I just don't think it is worth the risk. It is like people taking hard drugs. Some people can take them for years and not die and another person can try it once and drop dead...then others can have taken them for years and then it suddenly kill them...

[Sevaede]

Yellow mustard will also induce vomiting.

[king2005]

I could be wrong, but I remember reading something about chocolate & dogs.

The ingredient that is toxic to them is stored in the liver. So a dog can eat chocolate many times & be fine, but each dog's liver can only handle so much toxins before it kills them. So feeding chocolate on a regular bases is so deadly. you never know when the dogs body wont be able to handle anymore toxins before failing.

& maybe (going out on a limb here) that last bite of chocolate sets the liver off & becuase the dogs heart is racing, it kills them...


I know with my turtle I have to be careful not to over feed him & to make sure he doesn't eat processed foods. Becuase all the chemicles collect in the liver & then they die young. Or if you over feed, the liver works TOO hard & just dies, so the turtle dies. <- This is why I believe the Dogs liver failing, as it makes total sence.