Can Dogs Eat Chocolate? – Itsaboutdog

Sharing is caring!

Last Updated on 14/09/2024 by Aapt Dubey

We like chocolate a lot, and it is not a toxic food. However, this is different with your beloved dogs.

Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?- They like the appealing taste and sweetness of chocolates. However, it is not a healthy food for dogs. Eating chocolates can be poisonous to your dogs, leading to severe medical conditions and even death. That is why you need to know if dogs can eat chocolate.

Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?

No, dogs cannot eat chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is toxic to dogs. Theobrominecancause a variety of symptoms in dogs, including vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, seizures, and even death. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains, and the more dangerous it is for dogs.

The toxicity level depends on factors like the type of chocolate they ate and how much they ate. If your dog has eaten chocolate, you should check for the chocolaty positioning signs and take the necessary steps.

However, do not panic if they have mistakenly eaten chocolates. You can consult a vet immediately and get proper treatment for your dog. However, it would help if you were careful in making your dogs stay away from chocolates. It is not a delicious treat for your canines.

Is Chocolate Harmful to Dogs?

Of course, chocolates are harmful and toxic for your dogs. You should avoid giving it to them and ensure they are not accidentally consuming it. Chocolates contain chemicals like theobromine and caffeine.

These chemicals are not harmful to humans. Theobromine effectively reduces blood pressure, improves concentration, and enhances mood in humans. So chocolates are not poisonous to us. However, for dogs, these chemicals can be poisonous.

They cannot metabolize theobromine. As a result, it increases the heart rate and stimulates the nervous system excessively in dogs. A theobromine quantity of 20 mg per dog’s body weight in kilograms can create chocolate poisoning.

Do Dogs Like the Taste of Chocolate?

As per the research on the preference of dogs toward the taste of chocolates, almost all dogs of different breeds enjoy this delicious human treat with utmost interest.

Although this treat can even turn deadly for the canine when consumed in a large amount, it reacts very well with the tastebuds of the canine and attracts the canine’s attention it.

It is suggested to dog owners that they strictly avoid feeding this delicious snack to their furry friend because its harmful health effects can also lead to severe damage to the teeth, thus making the canine lose the capability of properly swallowing the food products.

Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?

No, the consumption of chocolate is prohibited for dogs. This is because the tastemakers and different types of compounds in them react with the enzymatic activities inside the canine’s stomach and cause different stomach issues, including ulcers and constipation.

How Much Chocolate is Toxic for Dogs?

As mentioned earlier, the concentration of theobromine in the chocolate consumed and the dog’s weight decide the toxicity.

The methylxanthines (containing compounds like theobromine and caffeine). The quantity of methylxanthines present in one ounce of different chocolate products is given below:

• Cocoa powder – 807 mg
• Baker’s chocolate – 440 mg
• Semisweet chocolate – 160 mg
• Dark chocolate – 150 mg
• Milk chocolate – 64 mg
• White chocolate – 1.1 mg

Along with this, the weight of the dog should also be considered. So, the toxicity will differ for different dogs according to their weight.

For example, for a dog with a twelve-pound weight, more than 80 ounces of white chocolate, about 0.3 to 0.5 ounces of baking chocolate, and 0.19 ounces of cocoa powder will be toxic.

You can always look for a dog chocolate toxicity calculator to check how much chocolate your pet can take. Always check your dog’s weight and decide the amount of chocolate it can take. However, it is highly advisable not to give them.

What are the Harmful Compounds of Chocolate?

Now, as we all know, the toxicity of chocolates to the canine is all because of the presence of harmful ingredients. So, it becomes very important for the dog owner to go through the ingredients of chocolate to understand why feeding the canine is prohibited. Here is the name of the harmful ingredients of chocolate:

• High fructose corn syrup
• Soy lecithin
• Artificial colours
• Artificial flavours
• Caffeine
• Cadmium
• Lead

These compounds are scientifically proven to be hazardous to the canine’s health, and the presence of such compounds is mainly responsible for their harmful nature to the canine.

What are the Potential Threats of Feeding Chocolate to Dogs?

There are many disadvantages to feeding chocolates to the canine, which is a must for the owners to know to prevent the situation from worsening. Here are the issues caused by the canine’s consumption of chocolate.

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Restlessness
• Increased urination
• Increased heartbeat rate
• Seizures
• Collapse and death

If any of these signs are present, you should take your dog immediately to the vet for treatment. It is suggested that the owners should not go for trying to treat the pet at home with home remedies as medicines become necessary to treat the toxicity in the canine’s stomach.

How Much Chocolate to Give a Dog?

It is better not to provide any chocolates to dogs. Depending on the kind of chocolate, a dog can be killed with as little as 0.3 ounces of intense chocolate per unit of body weight. The weight of moderate chocolates ranges from 0.5 to 2 ounces. This is due to theobromine, the chemical that is fatal to dogs, in chocolate.

Theobromine enters the circulation to accelerate pulse rate and assault the neurological system when dogs cannot break it down quickly enough. This is especially true for little dogs who consume a lot of chocolate.

However, remember that chocolate is not the only cause. The amount of chocolate ingested and your dog’s weight have a role in whether or not they die from chocolate candy poisoning.

Is White Chocolate Harmful to Dogs?

With approximately 0.25 mg of theobromine per ounce, white chocolate seldom offers a risk of chocolate intoxication.

Dogs can get sick from the chocolate’s fat and sugar even if the caloric density is not hazardous. They might lead to pancreatitis in serious circumstances or dogs with particularly sensitive stomachs.

Only 1 ounce of baker’s chocolate or 9 ounces of milk chocolate would be required for a moderate dog weighing 50 pounds to exhibit poisoning symptoms possibly. Tiny quantities of milk chocolate are generally not dangerous for dogs to consume.

What to Do if Your Dog Eats Chocolate?

There may be situations when your dog eats chocolate accidentally. If such cases happen, get help from your vet immediately. You can also get help from a Pet Poison Helpline nearby.

The vets also check your dog’s weight, amount, and type consumed. So, you should be aware of how much your pet has ingested. Based on all these factors, the veterinarian can immediately go for treatment.

If you take him to the vet right after consuming chocolate, the vet can take out the chocolate by inducing vomiting. After this, the treatments may include using activated charcoal.

Charcoal is good for preventing the poison from getting absorbed in the blood and removing it from the body. Sometimes, the veterinarian must go for medications or IV fluids in severe cases.

How Long Will My Dog Take to Recover?

The time of recovery is dependent on the seriousness of the chocolate poisoning. Generally, it takes around three days for a dog to recover completely from the toxicity.

After two hours of consumption, dogs may begin to exhibit signs of chocolate intoxication. Dogs might take 24 hours before experiencing symptoms. It is suggested that the owners keep the diet light until the dog completely recovers.

What are the Age Risks?

Usually, puppies are more attracted to chocolates than older ones. The risk can be severe for both age groups.

The older dogs are especially going to get more affected. Eating chocolates can even lead to death if your dog has other medical conditions like heart issues.

What are the Steps to Prevent Your Dog from Eating Chocolate?

Though some chocolates like white and milk chocolate can be given in very small quantities to your dog without causing poisoning, keeping them away from all kinds of chocolates is advisable. Follow some tips to prevent them from eating chocolates:

Keep the Chocolates Away from the Sight of Your Dogs

Keep all chocolate products away from its reach, especially the most harmful items like cocoa powder and baker’s chocolate. You can keep them in height.

Make Sure Your Kids Will Not Give Them.

Make your kids understand that chocolates are toxic for dogs and should be kept away from them. Tell them not to keep it in places where the dogs can reach.

Train Them

Teaching and commanding them not to take chocolates can be an effective way of preventing them from eating. Train them sufficiently that they will remember this.

Chocolate can be appealing to your dogs. Although giving meagre amounts will not create issues, please do not give them at all. Go for other healthy things that will make your dogs happy. That’s why this article on whether dogs can eat chocolate was specially curated for dog owners like you who are still worried about chocolate toxicity.

Sharing is caring!