It is a well-known fact everyone loves chocolate and the same goes to dogs. But, all the pet parents might have heard that chocolate is quite toxic to canines & depending upon the amount and type of chocolate consumed along with the dog’s weight, it can cause a severe medical emergency. Moreover, if pet parents know that their precious canines have eaten chocolate then, it is necessary to monitor them for below-mentioned symptoms of toxicity.
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Why Chocolate is Harmful for Dogs?
It is vital to mention that chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, and both of them can increase heart rate while stimulating the dog’s nervous system. And apart from this, these 2 methylxanthine molecules, while absorbed by human beings, cannot be tolerated by canines. So, in both cats and dogs, theobromine is extremely toxic just because of its slow metabolism. Well, the toxicity level is determined by:
- The weight and size of the canine
- The overall health & well-being of the canine
- Theobromine concentration
- The amount consumed
The side effects can range from excitability, stomach upset, to deadly cardiac arrest. But here arises an important question that: how much chocolate is considered too much? Well, it is extremely hard to determine the toxicity levels in a precise way because there are several factors to be kept in mind & sometimes the side effects can vary on individual basis as well.
According to the recommendations of PetPlace Vets, the toxicity levels of chocolate for canines are as follows:
- Milk Chocolate
Around 0.7-2 ounces/ pound of dog’s body weight. It is worth mentioning that a dog with 20 pounds of weight would have to eat a bit less than 1 pound in order to show nervous system symptoms.
- White Chocolate
It should be around 45-90 ounces/ pound depending on the canine’s body weight. Moreover, a 20 pound pooch would need to eat 55 pounds for showing nervous system symptoms.
- Baking Chocolate
Around 0.1-0.3 ounce/ pound of the body weight. Like, a canine with 20 pounds of body weight would need to eat two ounces to show nervous system signs.
- Semi-Sweet
This type of chocolate should be consumed around 1/3-1 ounce depending upon the total body weight. A canine with 20 pounds of body weight needs to consume only six ounces to show nervous system symptoms.
Usually, the darker & bitter chocolate has very high theobromine contents. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the chocolate type beforehand. Every pet parent should know this statement as a strict rule, do not give chocolate to canines. In case, pet parents have to know how to treat a canine that ate more than the recommended amount of chocolate, the best & safest practice is to call a skilled vet instantly.
The amount of chocolate is different for different dog breeds, like the amount of chocolate which can be bad for yorkies and Chihuahua is about 11g of dark chocolate and
Apart from this, every dog lover should know each and every detail when it comes to toxicity levels of chocolates for canines. No doubt, this level can differ a lot. But, prevention is much better than cure. And, excess of everything is bad.
What factors determine the level of toxicity?
- Weight of your dog
- Amount consumed by your dog
- The type that has been consumed by your dog.
List of dog chocolate poisoning symptoms:
How to recognize chocolate poisoning? You can just follow these symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Restlessness
- Increased urination
- Tremors
- Elevated or abnormal heart rate
- Seizures
- Collapse and death
