It’s not uncommon for pet owners to share their food and leftovers as a ‘treat’, which is fine – when done safely and in moderation. But worryingly, according to our PAW Report, tens of thousands of pet owners give human chocolate regularly to their dog, despite its toxicity.
Most commonly its dogs that we see brought through the doors of our hospitals for chocolate poisoning, but other pets such as cats and rabbits should also stay clear of chocolate for similar reasons.
Why does chocolate make dogs poorly?
Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which is toxic to dogs. Theobromine doesn’t break down in a dog’s digestive system in the same way it does in ours, which makes them sensitive to the chemical.
It’s not just chocolate bars that you need to look out for, cocoa in cakes or biscuits and processed chocolates could cause the same reaction. Be sure to keep your Easter eggs out of reach, dogs will have no problem breaking open those boxes, if they get the chance.
Theobromine isn’t the only concern, chocolate also contains caffeine, sugar and fat, all ingredients that don’t suit pets. The high fat content of chocolate can lead to pancreatitis – an inflammation of the pancreas - which can be extremely serious and fatal if left untreated.
Will a small amount effect my dog?
The type and the amount of chocolate that your dog has eaten in relation to their size is very important when working out what affects you may see. A large dog such as a Labrador may not be badly affected by eating a small amount of milk chocolate, however, if a Chihuahua ate the same amount that could potentially be very dangerous for them.
If your dog has eaten any chocolate, call your vet for advice. If your pet receives treatment quickly, it lowers the chance of your pet becoming seriously ill.
What symptoms might my dog have?
Don’t wait for symptoms to occur; if you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, seek help from your vet as soon as possible. However, symptoms that you may see as a result of eating chocolate are:
- Agitation
- Unusual hyper-activity or excitement
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Drinking or peeing more than normal
- Tender belly
- Call your vet and follow their advice. It's useful for your vet to know how much has been eaten and what type of chocolate they've had; show your bet the packaging if you have it.
- Visit our Pet Health Hub, this provides all the information you'll need about chocolate poisoning, so you can understand signs, symptoms and treatments. You can also work out the toxicity level of what your dog has eaten using this chocolate toxicity calculator.
- You can call the pet poison helpline. There is a charge to use this service but they’re open 24 hours a day to offer advice to worried owners who think their pet could have eaten something poisonous.
What treatment might my dog need?
If your vet is concerned that your dog has eaten a high dose of chocolate that could potentially be toxic, they will want to start treatment straight away. Ideally get to your vet within 2 hours of them eating the chocolate (the sooner the better to reduce the amount of toxin absorbed) but even if it’s been longer, treatment can still help. Your vet may want to make your pet vomit, so they bring up the chocolate that’s been eaten. If caught early enough then your pet may be able to be discharged home, without any further tests or treatment. However, your vet may prescribe activated charcoal, which stops your dog from absorbing any more theobromine into their system.
If your vet is concerned the amount of chocolate that your dog has eaten may leave them at risk of serious side effects, or if they are already showing signs such as an abnormal heart rhythm, additional treatments may be recommended. These could include hospitalisation on intravenous fluids and blood tests.
You can find many more potentially deadly foods on our poisons and hazards page.
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With Easter just around the corner and plenty of chocolate around the house the risk of your dog eating chocolate is increased, particularly if your dog is very food orientated! Our vet nurse Sophie Baldwin VN has put together a fantastic guide to what to do if you think your dog may have eaten some chocolate including signs to look out for and types of treatment.
A lot of us don't really appreciate the potential threat that chocolate can pose to a dog. The most toxic part of chocolate is the substance theobromine. Humans naturally metabolise theobromine at a fast enough rate so the toxic properties are not harmful to us but dogs metabolise it more slowly. The pods of the cocoa plant also contain caffeine.
Cocoa comes from a plant called Theobroma Cacao. Within the cocoa is the theobromine which all types of chocolate ( white, milk, dark) contain at
varying levels. So it is the type and amount consumed that can mean the difference from a dog being fine to seriously ill.
The size of the dog is also a considering factor as a slither of chocolate to a big dog may not have the same effect to that of a smaller dog. A dog that already has a full stomach will also not absorb the chocolate so readily as that of a dog with an empty stomach.
Lets look at the different types of chocolate:
White chocolate contains lower levels of theobromine as it is made up of cocoa butter rather than pure cocoa. This causes it to be a lower risk. However, it does not make it safe and should not be fed to dogs.
Milk chocolate contains theobromine diluted to a degree as the cocoa is mixed with milk and other ingredients. It can still pose a threat especially if it is a good quality chocolate which would have a higher cocoa factor than a cheaper version. One square of chocolate eaten as a one-off by a middle-sized dog is unlikely to cause a problem.
Plain/ dark chocolate contains the highest levels of cocoa of all. Rather than a lot of milk chocolate dark chocolate uses cocoa butter and a cocoa content of anything up to or over 70% depending on its quality. If a small dog were to eat only a square it may still become ill.
Cocoa, of course, itself is a threat so drinking cocoa, cocoa powder for baking, cocoa butter cream and chocolate icing all fall into the 'do not give to dogs' category. In fact, cooking chocolate tends to be even more cocoa rich than dark eating chocolate. Even a spoonful of cocoa can lead to acute illness.
If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, work out how much it has eaten and call the vet straight away. Take the chocolate packaging with you if you can so the vet can see how much theobromine the dog has likely consumed.
Signs to look out for if you think your dog may have eaten chocolate include:
A dramatically increased heart rate, as the theobromine acts as a heart stimulant. It can also act as a diuretic, causing fluids to be drawn from the body cells which can lead to excess urination and dehydration. Theobromine also acts as a muscle relaxant and can cause blood vessels to dilate. All these effects combined can be serious to the dog's health.
20mg/kg of theobromine can cause the dog to get diarrhoea, hypersalivation and vomiting. A higher dose of 40mg/kg can induce a higher heart rate and blood pressure. Even higher doses than this can lead to fitting and seizures. It can take a few hours for the symptoms to develop so these few hours are critical if there is any suspicion.
If you have caught the dog fairly quickly i.e. within a couple of hours, the vet will likely induce vomiting and then give activated charcoal orally to reduce the absorption rate of the theobromine.
The vet may want to hospitalise the dog to monitor for any developing symptoms so that they can treat straight away. The dog will likely be put on intravenous fluids and have its heart and pulse rate monitored.
Once symptoms are evident it is usually too late to induce vomiting to prevent onset toxicity. Managing the symptoms with intravenous fluids, anti-arrhythmia medication and managing any seizures are a priority.
Veterinary practices today are well accustomed to seeing dogs that have eaten chocolate and so treatment will be swift giving your dog a better chance of a full recovery.
Written by
My area of expertise is veterinary nursing, so health and care of companion animals. I was in veterinary practice for 14 years and trained in Wiltshire, Suffolk and Berkshire. Now I’m a We Love Pets branch owner at Stroud and Tetbury after deciding I wanted to keep working with animals but also be my own boss. My horse Bertie has been keeping me busy for 21 years now along with Kizzy the cat who I got through Cats Protection. I get my dog fix from dog walking other people’s dogs every day! What I love most about having a pet is the companionship they bring along with their non-judgemental affection, no matter who you are. They love you for just being you!