Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?

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Humans love chocolate, and it is common in most homes. For dog owners who are chocolate lovers, or who have kids that love chocolate and have chocolate in their homes, questions are being asked if dogs can eat chocolate or be given chocolate as treats.

Can dogs eat chocolate? Chocolate is a poison to dogs. They don’t know this, so if you feed your dog chocolate, it would gladly eat the whole packet. The compound Theobromine present in chocolate is toxic to dogs, and can do a lot of damage; renal failure, heart attack, seizure, diarrhea, etc.

The level of theobromine in chocolate depends on the type of chocolate. Darker chocolate contains more theobromine than lighter ones.

Chocolate also contains caffeine, which is also toxic to dogs at specific dosage. This is because caffeine is a stimulant, and can affect the circulatory system.

Why dogs should not eat chocolate

Caffeine and theobromine are present in chocolate. These two compounds are Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant and can make dogs psychoactive amongst other effects.

When ingested, these compounds inhibit certain enzymes which can cause hyperactivity or restlessness, and also affect heart rate.

These effects are also exhibited when humans ingest caffiene. But the human digestive system can quickly metabolize these compounds, so the effect is not prolonged depending on the dosage.

In dogs, the metabolism of theobromine and caffeine prolonged, making it difficult to leave their system (about six days): thus it has longer effects on the Central Nervous System

What happens if a dog eats chocolate?

The degree of toxicity of chocolate consumption in dogs depends on the type of chocolate consumed and the dog size.

Drug effects depend on the weight of the animal and the dosage consumed. This also applies to theobromine and caffeine in chocolate when consumed.

Dark chocolates contain more theobromine than light chocolate, so its toxicology effect will be more significant than light chocolate.

Milk chocolate is the worst because some dogs are lactose intolerant.

Large and giant dogs will need a higher dose of theobromine to cause illness in them than medium and small dogs because of their weight.

It might take a while for the effect of these compounds to begin to show (usually between 24-72 hours depending on the dog’s size).

Mild symptoms of theobromine toxicity include; vomiting, diarrhea, panting or restlessness, nausea, and excessive thirst. In the absence of proper medical attention (when a large amount of chocolate enters the dog's system), renal failure, heart attack, seizure muscle tremor, and ultimately death will occur.

Death can only result when dogs consume a large amount of chocolate. This is common to small dogs, so if you own a small dog, keep it clear of chocolate.

What do I do if my dog eats chocolate?   

If your dog eats chocolate, don’t panic just yet. Keep the remnant of the chocolate to show to your vet, for an accurate diagnosis.

If the dog ate a large amount of chocolate, take to the vet immediately.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit the vet if a small amount of chocolate was consumed.

Don’t try to induce vomiting by yourself, though that would help relieve the dog, but leave that to your vet, you might injure the dog in the process.

Avoid waiting for the symptoms of chocolate poisoning to show before taking to the vet. Some dogs might show mild signs or no symptoms at all after ingesting chocolate. This doesn’t mean it has grown chocolate-resistance.

The amount consumed might not be enough to cause illness based on the dog’s size.

Remember, don’t wait on the symptoms, take your dog to your vet.

The vet will watch the symptoms, induce vomiting to get the chocolate out of the stomach and sometimes give the dog activated charcoal to absorb the remnant in the stomach.

Whether your dog shows sign of chocolate poisoning or not, DON’T feed your dog chocolate either in small amounts or large amount.

Chocolate is made for humans not dog.

How to prevent your dog from chocolate poisoning

We have discussed the toxicity of chocolate in dogs. Care needs to be taken in order to avoid your dog eating chocolate;

       Don’t let a stranger feed your dog: Regardless of what the treat is, don’t let strangers feed your dog until you ascertain the composition of the treat.

       Put all chocolates away: Much like making your house ‘chocolate-proof,’ all chocolates and chocolate containing food; cake, biscuit, bread, candy, etc. should be put out of reach of dogs. Either safely secured in lockers and shelves or tightly packed in containers with a secure lid.

       Secure your trash: Dogs have a good sense of smell and can sniff through your trash bag to find chocolate crumbs and leftovers of chocolate containing foods.

     Warn your kids not to feed your dog chocolate: Children love chocolates, and they may see nothing wrong in giving it to your dog.

Common human foods that are bad for dogs

Humans and dogs have different metabolic systems, so certain foods that are harmless to human may be detrimental to a dog’s health.

Milk: Just has adult human lacks enzymes to breakdown milk sugar (lactose); some dogs also lack this enzyme. Such dogs are said to be lactose intolerant.

Avocado: A toxic chemical called persin is present in avocado, which causes stomach upset and breathing difficulty.

   Onions: Onions may be good for human, but it is toxic to dogs and causes red blood cell damage.

  Garlic: A close relative of the onion, it also causes significant damage to the red blood cell.

  Raw egg: Eggs are a good protein source for dogs. But raw eggs are not advised to be given to dogs due to possible contamination by salmonella bacterium.

  Grapes & Resins: Eating grapes & resin can cause renal failure in dogs

 Alcohol: Alcohol produces the same effect it has on humans on dogs too. But most dogs aren’t as heavy as humans, so alcohol poisoning can cause renal failure and drunkenness (uncoordinated motor function), vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

 Xylitol: Commonly used as an artificial sweetener in candy and baked foods, xylitol can cause liver failure through the release of excessive insulin to mop-up the sugar.     

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