(Can Chocolates Kill Your Dog) (Dogs and Chocolate)

 Chocolate can be toxic to dogs, and could lead to a medical emergency. Chocolate poisoning symptoms usually develop within six to twelve hours. It is important to know how much and what type of chocolate your dog has eaten.

People ask the following questions:

(How much chocolate is necessary to kill a dog?)

So 20 ounces milk chocolate and 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate Fitzgerald states that a mere 2.25 ounces baking chocolate could kill a 22-pound dog. Consuming 100 to 150 mgs of theobromine per kilogram can cause serious toxic reactions.

(Can 2 pieces of chocolate kill a dog?)

Although dogs may love chocolate’s sweet and delicious taste as humans, it is important to remember that they are not the same as humans.Chocolate is poisonous for dogs This could lead to them becoming very sick. No matter how eager your dog is to have a piece of chocolate, chocolate and dogs don’t mix.

Related article: (Responsibilities of a DOG FEEDER) (Automatic Feeder)

While some foods can be enjoyed in moderation by some people, that is not true for chocolate.

According to veterinarians, chocolate can cause canine poisoning and can even kill dogs.

Michelle DeHaven, a veterinarian, says that the worst case ever of chocolate poisoning was when owners gave their eight-pound dog a pound chocolate cake on his birthday.

DeHaven, a Smyrna-based veterinarian, said that the dog had to be treated with fluids and antiseizure medication for five consecutive days. A child wouldn’t eat a pound worth of chocolate, but they gave it to a small dog.

Experts agree that while a small amount of chocolate is safe for dogs, it would be too much to cause death. The real danger lies in dark and bakers chocolate, while milk and white chocolate present a lower risk.

(Chocolate Poisonous)

Cocoa beans are the source of chocolate, which contains both caffeine and theobromine. This is the real danger.

According to Kevin Fitzgerald, a Denver veterinarian, the problem is that dogs are slower at metabolizing theobromine than humans.

He says that while the buzz from chocolate can last for 20-40 minutes, it can last many hours for dogs. “After 17 hours, half the amount of theobromine that a dog has taken in is still in their system.”

Cats can also be poisoned by theobromine, although very few cases have been reported. Felines are not known to eat chocolate so they don’t often eat it.

Dogs will, however, eat almost anything.

Chocolate can cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs, even small amounts. Toxic amounts can cause hyperactivity, tremors and high blood pressure in dogs.

(Dogs and Chocolate)

Dogs are more likely to be poisoned by cocoa products containing too much theobromine.

Unsweetened bakers’ chocolate has 390 mgs of theobromine in an ounce. This is about 10 times more than milk chocolate, and twice as much than semi-sweet chocolate. Theobromine is very low in white chocolate.

According to Merck Veterinary Manual, one ounce of milk chocolate per pound is potentially fatal.

Dark chocolate is the real danger. Merck warns of deaths linked to theobromine dosages as low at 115 mg per kilogram (2.2 lbs) of bodyweight.

Fitzgerald states that a 22-pound dog could be killed by 20 ounces milk chocolate, 10 semi-sweet chocolates, and 2.25 ounces baking chocolate.

Consuming between 100 and 150 mgs of theobromine per kg of body weight can cause serious toxic reactions.

This means:

• A 9-pound dog could experience symptoms of chocolate poisoning after eating one ounce of baking chocolate, three ounces semi-sweet chocolate or nine ounces milk chocolate.
• After eating 3 ounces baking chocolate, 9-ounces semi-sweet chocolate and 27 ounces milk chocolate, a 27-pound dog could experience these symptoms.
• A 63-pound dog could experience symptoms after eating 7 ounces baking chocolate, 21-ounces semi-sweet chocolate or 63 ounces milk chocolate.

Fitzgerald, who regularly appears on Animal Planet’s hit program Emergency Vets, says that in 27 years of practicing, two dogs died from chocolate consumption. “Both were less than 20 pounds and both were old, so they ate baking chocolate in large quantities.”

He says that although most people wouldn’t eat a 4-ounce box of bitter-tasting baking chocolate, this is not the case for dogs.

He says that dogs experience the world by tasting it. They love baking chocolate.

(Your Dog Eaten Chocolate: Now What?

DeHaven, owner of Cumberland Animal Clinic, in Smyrna says that she receives two to three calls per month from owners whose pets have eaten chocolate.

An owner will ask the dog’s owner how much chocolate they have eaten, and their weight.

She says that a golden retriever of 60 pounds should not eat a bag full of Hershey kisses. “The dog will likely have a stomachache but not much else.”

Dogs can get diarrhea and vomiting from eating chocolate.

The vet might recommend that the dog be vomiting immediately if it isn’t vomiting by itself. This will prevent as much theobromine from getting into the system.

You can do this by giving your dog a solution of hydrogen peroxide in water. DeHaven warns against this treatment as it can lead to esophageal and other complications.

She suggests syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting.

She says, “If you have children, you need it in your house anyway.”

If your dog is showing signs of hyperactivity, agitation, or seizures, it’s important to get it to the vet as soon as possible. There is no cure for chocolate poisoning.

Fluids are often given with intravenous drug to prevent seizures and protect the heart.

The symptoms of theobromine poisoning usually occur between four and 24 hours after eating chocolate.

(Cocoa Shell Mulch)

Many people don’t know that cocoa shell mulches, which are becoming increasingly popular for landscaping, can pose a serious danger to dogs just like chocolate.

Terry and Dawn Hall learned the hard way when their beloved 105-pound chocolate lab Moose died from ingesting eight ounces cocoa shell mulch, which was used to landscape their Minneapolis yard.

Scott Dibble (D-Minnesota), a Minnesota state senator, was shocked by the death of his wife and introduced a bill that would require cocoa mulch sellers in Minnesota to warn their customers about the dangers to dogs.

The Legislature approved his bill last spring but the governor vetoed it.

Dibble told that “It is my understanding, that theobromine from cocoa mulch can be removed fairly easily, and that some producers do this while others don’t,” Dibble said. “But at the moment, there’s no way to tell if the mulch has been treated.”