Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer?

I've allowed my Maltese to lick out the bottom of my ice cream bowl for 8 years now not realizing the minut amount of chocolate in the bowl may be killing her...........or not.

    Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer?

    I've allowed my Maltese to lick out the bottom of my ice cream bowl for 8 years now not realizing the minut amount of chocolate in the bowl may be killing her...........or not....
    General Dog Discussions : Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer?...

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    • Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer?

      Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer? General Dog Discussions
      I've allowed my Maltese to lick out the bottom of my ice cream bowl for 8 years now not realizing the minut amount of chocolate in the bowl may be killing her...........or not.

      Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer?

      Everybody knows you should not feed dogs chocolate but what ACTUALLY happens if you do, will it cause cancer? General Dog Discussions
    • Chocolate will only kill a dog when a large amount (the amount varies between dog/size) eaten all at once.It is not good for them and usually makes them sick. Sugar also can cause long term problems in dogs.HOWEVER, my dogs have gotten into chocolate before and they have all been fine. My 11 year old lab ate a box of truffles (the chocolates) at 3 months old and she is perfectl fine.

    • It's toxic to them. Enough will kill them quickly, small amounts will just damage their organs. Even a small amount can kill a dog as small as a Maltese.

    • It doesn't cause cancer, I think pretty much once it's through their system the danger has passed. I wouldn't let her eat chocolate anymore, though. My dog somehow got into a bag of dark chocolate and ate the whole thing a few years ago, and she nearly died. Her heart sped up and she was sick all over the house for a few days. We were lucky, and she survived, but I wouldn't risk even a little chocolate if I were you!

    • Well, Theo Bromine is the chemical that is found in chocolate that can poison dogs. Maybe not kill them, but it can cause vomiting and restlessness. Larger doses can acually kill them, so never take that lightly.Estimates of the smallest amounts that can be fatal are: 4 ounces of milk chocolate or 1/2 ounce of baking chocolate for small dogs, such as Chihuahuas and toy poodles. 8 ounces of milk chocolate or 2 ounces of baking chocolate for medium-sized dogs, like cocker spaniels and dachshunds. 8 ounces of milk chocolate or 4 ounces of baking chocolate for large dogs, including collies and Labrador retrievers. Cats have much different eating habits and seldom are poisoned by chocolate. While a very small amount of chocolate may not harm some dogs, it's safest to avoid giving it to them at all. If an accident occurs, a veterinarian should be consulted. Treatment may require inducing vomiting, stabilizing the animal's heartbeat and respiration, controlling seizures and slowing the absorption of Theo bromine. If the animal already is comatose, its stomach may need to be pumped.

    • It causes seizures sometimes. My sister cannot show one of her dogs because her husband gave chocolate cake to her mastiff and he had a seizure. He has never had another, but it only takes one. She cannot use him to breed either. It is sad because he is a stunning animal. If the dog has had only a tiny bit it should be okay. If it has not had a seizure in 8 years I would say you are okay, but to avoid giving it any more.

    • The small amount of left over chocolate at the bottom of a bowl of ice cream probably won't do any damage. But just to be safe, I don't give my dog Any chocolate. Here is a link that will explain why Chocolate is toxic to dogs.http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vth/SACP/chocolate_toxicity.htm

    • There's a chemical in cocoa that acts like a poison. Dark chocolate, cooking chocolate and milk chocolate are more "pure" and therefore have the greatest amounts of the chemical. White chocolate is more processed and has less cocoa and therefore less of this certian chemical. If digested, chocolate can kill a dog.I wouldn't recommend letting your dog lick your bowl anymore. Although the cocoa content in icecream is likely to be very small, the sugar content and fat content is likely to be very high, and thats no good either. Stick to dog treats.

    • No, ice cream has very little chocolate. Milk chocolate is even relatively harmless in small amounts. Dark chocolate is the bad stuff in any amount. I think it shuts down the kidneys or something of the sort.

    • I grew up in an ice cream parlor back east.Our shepherds ate ice cream ,chocolate,caramel had a beer at times, but also plenty of exercise and all lived to 12 or 13 years.

    • chocolate does NOT cause cancer for dogs(that's one of the funniest things I've heard all day)the caffeine in any type of chocolate can cause their hearts to race, if they have enough chocolate in one sitting they can have a heart attackracing heart you probably wouldn't notice until the day you gave them enough that they did have a heart attack,if a heart attack occurs then they'd need emergency veterinary care otherwise they may diethe dairy in the chocolate (if it is milk chocolate candy or chocolate ice cream) is also dangerous because most dogs are lactose intolerant; this means that even that little bit of chocolate ice cream left at the bottom of the bowl can cause them to have gas, bloat up, and in some cases chronic diarrheaif they have enough dairy that they get chronic diarrhea, they can easily dehydrate and even diemost dogs can handle small amounts of chocolate, but it still isn't worth the riskespecially since you have a smaller breed of dog so she would be more easily effected by a small amount of chocolate; in truth you may have been giving her mild gas and chest pains from the chocolate all these years however never known because the dog can't really tell you when something is wrong the way a human canand especially since as she gets older she may not be able to handle as much chocolate as she did when she was younger, most senior dogs are at a higher risk for heart failure anyway...in any case there is no real reason to give her chocolateespecially since there are so many other treats you could give to your dog that are actually safe for herif you insist on giving her chocolate then discuss it with your vet next time she goes in for a check-up,your vet can give you all the facts about dogs and chocolate better than any one on here can, and your vet can tell you how much would be considered a "safe amount" for your girl as she gets older (that way you don't accidently overdose her)

    • Theobromine in chocolate is toxic to dogs. It can cause rapid heartbeat and seizures both which can lead to death. While dark chocolate and bakers chocolate contain more theobromine any chocolate can kill a dog. It all dopends on each dog. I know someone who almost lost a Chihuahua when it ate just 2 small pieces of milk chocolate.Given as you did over time it will work away at the kidneys and liver. Please stop giving any form of chocolate right away.

    • I wouldnt worry about it. We've a black lab named angus who goes to work with me and my dad every day. We go to timmys....lets just say angus's favorite donut is double chocolate glazed. It may depend on the dog but dad will even share an ice cream cone with Angus. That dog eats more people food then dog food. He has never had any health problems....otherthen being 10 pounds overweight in the winter....he is fine in the summer cause he LOVES swimming. We have never actually fed him pure chocolate but im sure chocolate ice cream from the bottom of the bowl would be fine