chocolate

[roisinbutler]

Been meaning to ask this for a while. I see that lots of people give oreos or other chocolate treats occasionally. I always heard chocolate was bad for dogs, is there a safe amount? Ozzy goes NUTS when ever there is any chocolate in the house, he has stolen a brownie before and been fine, and he has gotten the occasional oreo from us, just wondering what the general rule is.

 

[Jeannie]

Chocolate effects the dog's nervous system. The amount of chocolate to cause problems ranges from the type of chocolate to the size of the dog.

Of course a larger dog can eat more chocolate than a small dog. Baker's chocolate is the strongest type. Just a few ounces of it could kill a newf. But milk chocolate they can eat so much per pound of body weight. I don't remember the exact amount but it is quite a bit. An oreo or two or a piece of chocolate is not going to hurt your dog as long as you don't over do it.

 

[Jeannie]

I did a search and found this info on this website

Toxic Levels

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

On average,
Milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per oz.
Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg/oz.
Baker's chocolate 390mg/oz.

Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as:
1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate.

So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker's chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems.

Clinical Signs

Xanthines affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs:

Hyper excitability
Hyper irritability
Increased heart rate
Restlessness
Increased urination
Muscle tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Treatment

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the the proper treatment for your pet.

 

[Leslie]

Thanks Jeannie, that's good to know. Stoli has been known to sucker dad into a bite of chocolate chip cookie though. He does know that "no chocolate for dogs" means you're not getting any so go away.

 

[Michelle]

We used to have a greyhound/shepherd mix that we rescued as a puppy. The first Christmas we had him he was barely a year old and ate an entire pound of Marshall Fields Frango Mints. He threw up and ran around with a sugar high for an hour or so, but was fine after that. The same dog ate an entire pan of brownies without so much of an upset stomach. We used to say he had a stomach of iron. Sadly, he died of cirrosis at the age of 9. Our Newf has eaten chocolate chip cookies off the cookie sheet and a dozen blueberry muffins and been fine. (we have learned to put stuff WAAAYYY up!