The Dangers of Chocolate for Dogs

With Halloween approaching it is important to keep dogs safe around the temptation of chocolate...

We have all been in that position – sat eating some chocolate and your faithful canine companion strolls up and looks at you with “those eyes”, quietly tugging on your heart strings until you share whatever tasty chocolaty treat you were previously enjoying.

Surely it can’t do any harm...?? Can it…?

To us chocolate is a tasty treat that, aside from adding a few calories to our daily intake, will not really do us any major harm. Dogs will also think chocolate is a tasty treat but in reality, it is toxic and poisonous to them.

Why? 

Chocolate contains a chemical called “Theobromine”, it is a stimulant, similar to caffeine. This is why we get a “happy buzz” after eating chocolate – the chemicals are doing their job and lifting our mood. In a dog Theobromine can make them unwell in a selection of ways but the most serious is the effect it has on their muscles (including cardiac muscle – the heart). This overstimulation can lead to initial increased excitement but depending on the amount of chocolate ingested can quickly develop into tremors, seizures and Tachycardia.

How much is too much?

This can depend on three factors –

• The size of the dog – obviously the smaller the dog the quicker and more serious the effects.
• The amount of Theobromine that has been ingested.
• The type of chocolate that has been eaten. Dark chocolate typically contains greater levels of the stimulants, followed by milk chocolate and finally white.

What to look out for?

Initially, a dog will react in the same way that a human would when they have eaten something that does not agree with them. Stomach pain, nausea and signs of a possible upset stomach. These symptoms can take 3-4 hours to show themselves, but this can also depend on the amount of chocolate eaten. You may also notice your dog drinking excessively, panting quicker than normal and struggling with their balance and walking. Further severe symptoms can include seizures, fitting and muscle twitching.

What do I do?

Get the dog to a Veterinary Professional as fast as you can. Do not try to administer any treatment yourself as this has the potential to make the condition worse. If you can, ring ahead so that your local Practice can be prepared.

Try and make notes on the following –

• What time was the chocolate eaten? (How long has your dog been digesting it for)
• How much do you think was ingested?
• What kind of chocolate was it (dark, milk, white). Ideally take the wrapper if you can find it (or at least the name/make of the bar). This will allow your Vet to research the ingredients and find out how much Theobromine it contained.

If treated early enough and correctly, there should be no long-term effects for your dog after eating chocolate. Only in extreme cases can there be further complications brought on by the repeated excessive seizures that a high dose of Theobromine can cause.

Paw-sitive actions to prevent this:

• Keep your chocolate in an inaccessible place where your dog cannot get at it. Remember some dogs will be tenacious so somewhere completely out of reach would be best.
• Your dog has a great sense of smell so placing chocolate items in a tin would be beneficial.

As a final word of warning – Sugar free chocolate is twice as dangerous for your dog as it contains Xylitol – a form of artificial sweetener, which is not only poisonous but will disrupt your canine companions blood sugar levels.