Dogs eat the darndest things. Garbage, shoes, homework, dirty diapers – things
that would put you and I in the hospital. And yet, despite the seemingly ironclad
canine digestive system, one of our favorite aphrodisiacs and antioxidants
can be deadly to a dog. If you are someone who pays even the slightest attention
to the health and well-being of your companion animals you probably already
know that dogs cannot eat chocolate. But have you ever wondered why chocolate
can be so dangerous for dogs when it’s so heavenly for us?
The answer is simple and strictly chemical. Chocolate contains theobromine,
which is a naturally-occurring molecule found in the cocoa beans, coffee, tea,
and cola and is related to caffeine. In the medical field it has been used
as a drug to treat high blood pressure because of its ability to dilate blood
vessels. Because of its diuretic effect, it is also sometimes used in cases
where cardiac failure has resulted in an accumulation of body fluid. What makes
it poisonous for dogs and not humans is the fact that dogs are unable to metabolize
the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain
in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours. Theobromine can be dangerous to cats
as well but little is ever mentioned about the toxicity most likely because
cats have eating habits that are different from dogs and they are less likely
to inhale large quantities of chocolate.
Symptoms of theobromine toxicity are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, restlessness,
and increased urination. These can progress to cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic
seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death.
Different types of chocolate as well as different levels of “quality” will
contain different amounts of theobromine. In general, theobromine levels are
higher in dark chocolate or higher-quality chocolate and lower in milk chocolate
and lower quality chocolate. Simply stated, depending on the size, overall
health, and age of your dog, different kinds of chocolate can have different
negative affects. Generally, it takes a large amount of theobromine to cause
a toxic reaction. 100-150 mg of theobromine per kg of body weight.
Here is a breakdown of the different types of chocolate and their respective
danger to your dog:
•
White chocolate: It would take 250 lbs. of white chocolate to cause signs of
poisoning in a 20 lb. dog, 125 lbs. for a 10 lb. dog.
•
Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per lb. of body weight. Wow! 20 times more toxic than
white chocolate! Who knew? Approximately one lb. of milk chocolate is poisonous
to a 20 lb. dog; one-half lb. for a 10 lb. dog. The average chocolate bar contains
2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10
lb. dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
•
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per lb. of body weight. One-third of a lb. of sweet
cocoa is toxic to a 20 lb. dog; 1/6 lb. for a 10 lb. dog.
•
Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per lb. body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers'
chocolate is toxic to a 20 lb. dog; one ounce for a 10 lb. dog.
It’s important to note that carob, an ingredient in our natural
dog food mixes is not the same as chocolate. It is used as a chocolate substitute for
humans – but
we use it because it is a healthy and nutritious food that’s great for
dogs and tasty too.
If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your vet immediately.
They can help you determine the proper treatment for your pet. If you can get
your dog to the vet within 2 hours from when the chocolate was ingested, vomiting
can be induced to remove the poison.
Bottom line is enjoy the Holidays, but keep the chocolate out of paw’s
reach.
Back
to Top
Copyright ® 2006
Sojourner Farms. All rights reserved.
