You left your partially eaten Hershey bar on the coffee table while you answered the doorbell. A few minutes later you returned to see Scruffy helping himself to the chocolate candy. Like most dog owners, you know that chocolate is not good for dogs but exactly how much is too much?
What’s the Danger in Chocolate?
Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine and larger amounts of a chemical compound called theobromine. Although both constituents contribute, the real danger in chocolate is theobromine, which the canine (and other animals) system has trouble metabolizing. The more theobromine the chocolate contains the more poisonous it is to the dog.
All Chocolate is Not Created Equal
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, unsweetened baking chocolate contains about three times as much theobromine as semi-sweet chocolate and sweet dark chocolate, and about seven times as much as milk chocolate. White chocolate contains very little theobromine.
Sensitivity to chocolate varies among dogs but, according to Merck, one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight has the potential to kill.
Let’s Do the Math
For a 10 pound dog, that’s 10 ounces of milk chocolate, or about 3 ounces of dark chocolate, or about 1 ounce of baking chocolate.
For a 25 pound dog, that’s 25 ounces of milk chocolate, or about 8 ounces of dark chocolate, or about 3 ounces of baking chocolate.
For a 50 pound dog, that’s 50 ounces of milk chocolate, or about 16 ounces of dark chocolate, or about 7 ounces of baking chocolate.
The amount of theobromine in chocolate pudding, cakes, or cookies may not be known and, in most cases, the exact amount ingested is also unknown. Additionally, with sensitivity varying among dogs, seeking prompt veterinary treatment is recommended.
Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning usually appear within 4 to 24 hours of ingestion and may include:
- Excessive thirst
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Swollen abdomen
- Increased urination
- Restlessness to hyperactivity
- Lack of coordination in muscle movements
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Increased heart rate or heart failure
- Respiratory failure
- Coma
Death can occur in just hours so the sooner your dog is treated, the better the chances for a good outcome.
Cocoa Mulch for Landscaping
Cocoa mulch or cocoa bean shells used in flower beds and gardening contain high concentrations of theobromine. Very small amounts are potentially deadly when ingested by pets. Most dogs won’t or don’t eat the sweet smelling mulch but at least one death has been reported. Snopes.com verified that a 3 year old Labrador in Minnesota died after eating cocoa mulch. Some cocoa mulch manufacturers have begun treating the shells so that they are free of theobromine.
Keeping Chocolate Away From Dogs
Most dogs like the taste of chocolate and will find it by scent. Make sure not to leave chocolate items lying out where the dog can reach them. Teach children the importance of keeping chocolate away from the dog and remind them to check coat pockets and backpacks for chocolate candy bars before tossing them on the bed.
There are also other foods dangerous to dogs including bones, and gravies and dishes containing onions.
Sources:
Merck Veterinary Manual, Chocolate and Dogs
Pets.WebMD.com, Dogs and Chocolate: Get the Facts by Salynn Boyles, reviewed by Katherine Snyder, DVM, DACVIM
Joy Butler - Writer, retired lab tech, mom, and animal lover with over 20 years' experience rescuing, kenneling, training and showing dogs.
