Is Chocolate really bad for DOGS????

I left half of my chocolate bunny on the counter and my dog got to it and ate it. This bunny was huge and thick. Should I take my dog to the vet of something? Any suggestions? Or is the myth that chocolate is bad for dogs a lie?

    Is Chocolate really bad for DOGS????

    I left half of my chocolate bunny on the counter and my dog got to it and ate it. This bunny was huge and thick. Should I take my dog to the vet of something? Any suggestions? Or is the myth that chocolate is bad for dogs a lie?...
    General Dog Discussions : Is Chocolate really bad for DOGS????...

    • It's bad for them ! But just how sick they will get depends on the strength of it. Pure chocolate can be fatal. It will give them diarrhea and this can lead to dehydration etc. Milk chocolate such as the bunny probably was will probably not kill your dog but you should keep an eye on him and keep him hydrated as much as possible. ( PS) "people food" in general is not good for your dog.

    • If you start seeing symptoms whether they be severe or moderate then yes I would take your dog to the doctor. I'd be on the lookout for an signs if they appear. Chocolate contains theobrine that is toxic to dogs in large quantities. It is an xanthine compound. It takes a fairly large amount of theobrine to poison a dog... 100-150 mg/kg is likely to cause a toxic reaction. This is just on average, there are variables such as the dogs size, individual sensitivity and concentration of the chocolate to keep in mind. In other words, a hershey's bar would have a greater affect on a small dog rather than a large one ( though it might still affect it.) I wouldn't be fretting if your dog just ate one of your m+m's. I had a friend who's english spaniel devoured half of their father's chocolate birthday cake and still lived. Another of my relations, who used to own a labradoodle left out a can of hot chocolate mix and their dog ate the entire thing and though it gave him a bit of a tummy ache it didn't have as severe of an affect as they would've predicted. ( And considering the sheer size of the canine and the large componet of SUGAR rather than chocolate in the cocoa mix I'm not very surprised at how it all turned out.) So as you can see the affects of chocolate may vary from dog to dog. On average: Milk chocolate = 40 mg of theobrine per oz. Semisweet Chocolate= 150 mg per oz Bakers Chocolate= 390 mg per oz Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as:1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate.Symptoms of chocolate poisoning ( as usual some but not all may be present or none at all) * Extreme Excitability* irritability * Increased Heartrate * Increased Urination (peeing) * Muscle Tremors* Vomiting * Diarrhea * RestlessnessAs with any sort of illness if your dog just doesn't seem like itself than I would take it to a veteranarian immediately. If your vet operates on odd hours then I would take them to see an emergency veteranarian ( google search for emergency vets in your area if you don't already know of a reliable emergency vet. ) Treatment for the chocolate poisoning would occur as the following. The vet would induce vomiting in the dog if the quantity of the chocolate ingested is unknown. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.Diarrhea should appear 12-24 hours after the chocolate was ingested and if apparent the dog will get some extra fluids to avoid dehydration. Since you suspect that your dog has been having a small choco snack I suggest you contact your vet or someone that you trust with your dog's total health just to let them know. They will give you some suggestions and more info. Poor thing! I hope all ends well...

    • Chocolate IS toxic to dogs depending on the amount they ingest. I had this experience with my Bullmastiff last summer. She got into a grocery sack and at THREE entire two pound bags of Linders (sp?) chocolate candies. I called the vet right away and she had me pour 1/2 a cup of hydrogen peroxide down her throat and wait 1/2 an hour to see if she vomited. She also told me what signs to watch for that Harley was going into distress. I'm not suggesting you do that, you should definitely call and ask your vet!!! For me it worked, she vomitted and then had some nasty "movements" for a day or two but was fine. I definitely don't leave chocolate out now, it's quite an experience pouring anything down the jaw of a mastiff that has vice-grip strength in her jaw muscles!!! Good luck, hope you dog is OK!