if a twelve pound puppy eats one ounce of dark chocolate, hes finished. i mean real chocolate not a wunderbar or coffee crisp. real dark chocolate. what type of dogs do you have sassy?
Heard some chemical dogs cannot metabolize as human can which appears to be toxic when accummulated. I think it may be the caffeine or caffeine like substance. Makes the dogs hyper for a while.
ladyheart: if a twelve pound puppy eats one ounce of dark chocolate, hes finished. i mean real chocolate not a wunderbar or coffee crisp. real dark chocolate. what type of dogs do you have sassy?
agman: Heard some chemical dogs cannot metabolize as human can which appears to be toxic when accummulated. I think it may be the caffeine or caffeine like substance. Makes the dogs hyper for a while.
JMQ (Just my quess)
I'm not sure why they can't have chocolate, something about it is toxic to their system or something like that...but caffeine can kill a dog...very very bad for dogs also. So is Tylenol...it's fatal...
sassylady27: pitbull then i have akeeta and german shepard mix
where i live they banned pit bulls, when they should be banning the people who own these dogs and giving the dogs a break. lots of my friends think differently but they dont understand people or dogs. lots of pit bulls went to america and are now gaurding the borders, the ones that could be retrained. your country saved a lot of pit bulls from ontario from being put down. ive met more rotties that were more unpredictable than pit. i have a preference for spitz breeds so would like the akita dog a lot more. have a great day.
ladyheart: where i live they banned pit bulls, when they should be banning the people who own these dogs and giving the dogs a break. lots of my friends think differently but they dont understand people or dogs. lots of pit bulls went to america and are now gaurding the borders, the ones that could be retrained. your country saved a lot of pit bulls from ontario from being put down. ive met more rotties that were more unpredictable than pit. i have a preference for spitz breeds so would like the akita dog a lot more. have a great day.
I HAVE a Rottie thats EXTREMELY predictible!! He's -very- aggressive...but -very- predictible...and a HUGE baby at home....
Why is chocolate dangerous for dogs to eat? In: Canine Health
Answer
While the pathetic begging look that goes across the face of a dog wanting chocolate can weaken the most stoic dog owner, stay firm. Do not give in. Ever.
Once dogs have tasted chocolate, they want more.
And for dogs, that's a bad thing.
You might disagree, thinking back to a time when you noticed a dog enjoying a tidbit of chocolate with no deleterious effect.
Don't be fooled.
The problem, according to veterinary experts, is that eating a speck of chocolate leads a dog to crave more. It can mean that your dog will jump at a opportunity to get any type of chocolate, not knowing that certain chocolates are more lethal than other types. Larger amounts of chocolate, particularly of the most toxic type, can bring about epileptic seizures in some dogs, and in all dogs, can kill.
Poisoning of dogs by chocolate is not as uncommon as you might think.
"Chocolate ingestions are one common reason why pet owners and veterinarians call us," said Dana Farbman, Certified Veterinary Technician and Manager, Client and Professional Relations, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. "However, it would be difficult to verify an exact ranking in frequency of calls, as the types of substances we receive calls on can vary greatly depending on many factors, including the time of year. We generally do experience somewhat of a rise in chocolate calls around holidays, such as Halloween, Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
Why is Chocolate Lethal?
Chocolate contains theobromine. A naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine that is poisonous to dogs.
Symptoms of Chocolate Dog Ingestion and Poisoning
You can recognize that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate from the symptoms. Within the first few hours, the evidence includes vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes and there's increased absorption of the toxic substance, you'll see an increase in the dog's heart rate, which can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.
This can lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.
How Much Chocolate Is Deadly?
If a 50-pound dog eats a teaspoonful of milk chocolate, it's not going to cause serious problems. However, if that same dog gorges himself on a two-layer chocolate cake, his stomach will feel more than upset and soon it's likely he'll be vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.
To answer the question "How much is too much" is not simple. The health and age of your dog must be considered. Obviously if your dog is aged and not in top shape, his reaction to a plate of chocolate is going to be different from a young healthy dog of the same weight.
Another fact that must be considered is this: Not all chocolate is the same. Some has a small amount of theobromine; another type has a large amount and still another contains an amount that is somewhere in between. The quantity has a relationship with the weight of your dog. Small dogs can be poisoned, it is easy to understand, from smaller amounts of theobromine than large dogs.
Which chocolate is the safest, relatively speaking? White chocolate. It has the least amount of theobromine: 1 mg per ounce. Far on the other side of the spectrum is baking chocolate, which has a huge 450 mg of theobromine per ounce!
Here are a few other chocolates for you to ponder: hot chocolate, 12 mg of theobromine per ounce; milk chocolate, 60 mg/oz; and up there near baking chocolate: semi-sweet chocolate with 260 mg/oz.
You might try using this to remember these chocolates from least to most toxic: What Happy Moose Says BAA? Or: White-Hot-Milk-Semi-Baked. If you have a better way to remember, contact us!
Knowing which chocolate is the most toxic is important, but leaves one wondering how much must be eaten to poison a dog. The list in this box should be helpful. Maybe you can clip it and post it on your refrigerator?
* White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
* Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
* Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
* Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.
* NO CHOCOLATE ! EVER AT ALL.
vw27
Related Links
* AskABreeder.com: Chocolate is Dangerous for Puppies
Thanks to all for their answers to this thread, some useful information, I have two dogs and definately won't give then choccies after reading all this,......not that they were ever given it anyway.....I eat it first
I actually don't understand why a dog must have chocolate, or any other sweets, if there are TONS of treats that are made for dogs or found in our own fridge that will definitely do no harm? Then of course there is this "dog chocolate", someone once gave my dog a whole box of it as a present... She's still eating it, in very small doses.
ltlmstroubleMilton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England UK1,635 posts
The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.
HarleyquinnBetwixt the stix, Illinois USA1,707 posts
Conrad, sir, as usual, spot on!
If it takes 2 teaspoons of arsenic to kill you, would you dabble in eating only a half teaspoon? NEVER give chocolate(of any kind) to a dog or cat( I believe it is even more toxic to them). Well, that is, if you love them!!!!
A couple other no-no s garlic, onions(which acumulate in the body and can be lethal so not even little bits at a time). I know who gives their dogs garlic or onions, it could be in something as an ingrediant.
Also alcohol, and believe it or not grapes/raisins(can cause kidney failure) who knew?
And as was pointed out already with so many treats for pets why risk it?
Love(treat) your pets better than yourself, after all, they are at your mercy!!!!
Don't over feed them and be sure they get plenty of fresh water, exercise and fresh air and sunshine(don't overdo this if it is hot or they have been recently clipped shorter than 3/4 inch, they can sunburn).
Treat 'em right and they will keep you laughing for years! After all who's gonna love you like that? Only your mother could love you more.
I had a dog called Teddy when I was living at home with my parents in my late teens and we used to stick a square of chocolate to the roof of his mouth so it would last longer for him.....he never showed any side effects or got sick or acted strangely......
oh but he did let me brush his teeth for him with toothpaste and a toothbrush.......
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