What happens if your dog eats dark chocolate

Why is chocolate bad for pets?

It’s a common fact that chocolate isn’t good for animals, especially dogs.

Chocolate contains caffeine and the chemical compound ‘theobromine’, which are toxic to pets. This is because cats’ and dogs’ digestive systems can’t break them down in the same way as humans. The chemicals build up and can cause organ disease and failure if not treated properly. Find out what to do if your pet eats chocolate.

What symptoms will I see?

Symptoms will occur from four to 24 hours after your pet has eaten chocolate and will vary depending on the amount and type of chocolate your pet has eaten.

Dr Adam Sternberg, a Regional Clinical Director of Greencross Vets, says theobromine mainly affects the heart, central nervous system, and kidneys. Some dogs may have upset tummies such as vomiting and or diarrhoea.

‘Theobromine is a toxin that can be linked to hyperactivity,’ he says. ‘Affected pets can have tremors, seizure, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Ingestion can be fatal in severe cases. If your pet eats chocolate, take them to the vet immediately.’ Please also ensure you bring the packet or take note of the type of chocolate.

Other symptoms include:

• rapid breathing
• muscle tension
• coordination loss
• increased heart rate

How much chocolate is too much?

You should not give any chocolate to your pet, though sometimes pets can obtain chocolate without you knowing. Some chocolates contain more theobromine than others. Here is a guide to which chocolate types contain the most theobromine in order of most to least:

• baking / cooking chocolate (most)
• dark chocolate
• milk chocolate
• white chocolate (least)

What to do if your pet eats chocolate

Bring them to the vet. There is no antidote for theobromine poisoning. In most cases, your vet will make your dog vomit given the right time frame from ingestion. They may wash out the stomach and feed activated charcoal, which will absorb any theobromine left in the stomach and or intestines. Other treatments will depend on the signs your dog is showing. They may need intravenous fluids (a drip), or medication to control heart rate and seizure activity.

Dr Sternberg also indicates it might not just be theobromine that’s causing issues. ‘There are also a whole lot of other ingredients in chocolate your pet could be reacting to,’ he says.

With prompt intervention and treatment, even in dogs that have eaten large amounts of chocolate, the prognosis for a poisoned dog is usually good.

If you are concerned that your pet may have consumed chocolate, contact your nearest Greencross Vets for treatment.

Book a vet

While the occasional chocolate chip within one cookie may not be an issue, we worry about certain types of chocolate – the less sweet and the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is to your pet. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem. Other sources include chewable, flavored multi-vitamins, baked goods, or chocolate-covered espresso beans. The chemical toxicity is due to a methylxanthine (theobromine), and results in vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, an abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and rarely, even death. With Halloween right around the corner, make sure your kids know to hide the stash from your dogs. (Dogs make up 95% of all our chocolate calls, as cats are usually too discriminating to eat chocolate!) In smaller dogs, even the wrappers from candy can result in a secondary obstruction in the stomach or intestines.

What’s in it

When it comes to chocolate, it’s imperative to remember this fact: Dark = dangerous! The darker the chocolate, the larger the amount of theobromine, a cousin chemical to caffeine, that it contains. Thus, baker’s chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder and gourmet dark chocolates are more dangerous than milk chocolate. White chocolate has very little theobromine and will not cause chocolate poisoning in pets.

Threat to pets

It’s the dose that makes the poison! Pets that ingest a few M&Ms or 1-2 bites of a chocolate chip cookie are unlikely to develop chocolate poisoning.

• For milk chocolate, any ingestion of more than 0.5 ounces per pound of body weight may put dogs at risk for chocolate poisoning.
• Ingestions of more than 0.13 ounces per pound of dark or semi-sweet chocolate may cause poisoning.
• Almost all ingestions of baker’s chocolate can result in poisoning and are considered emergencies.
• Very young, geriatric and animals with underlying disease must be treated more conservatively as they are more at risk for poisoning than healthy adult animals.
• Due to the large amount of fat in chocolate, some pets may develop pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) after eating chocolate or baked goods containing chocolate (see fatty foods).

Signs of chocolate poisoning

Ingestions of small amounts of chocolate may cause mild vomiting and diarrhea. Larger ingestions can cause severe agitation, tachycardia (elevated heart rate), abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures and collapse.

Treatment

Induce vomiting and give multiple doses activated charcoal to decontaminate. Aggressive IV fluids to help with excretion, sedatives to calm the pet, specific heart medications to reduce the heart rate and blood pressure, anti-convulsants for seizures, antacids (such as Pepcid) for stomach discomfort and diarrhea. Theobromine may be reabsorbed across the bladder wall so a urinary catheter or frequent walks are needed to keep the bladder empty.

Prognosis

Excellent with small ingestions (such as mild stomach upset).
Excellent in pets with mild signs of poisoning (such as mild stomach upset or slight restlessness). Poor in those with severe signs of poisoning such as collapse and seizures.

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