Dog Eating Chocolate:

Chocolate may be a tasty treat for you, but for your pet it can be deadly! Chocolate contains an ingredient similar to caffeine call theobromine. This ingredient can cause heart arrhythmias, high blood pressure and seizures, which together can kill the pet. Unsweetened chocolate contains the most theobromine. Approximately 8-10 times as much as milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate is somewhere in between these two. Milk chocolate contains about 50 mg of theobromine per ounce. It can take as little as 20mg/kg of theobromine to hurt your pet. That is about one ounce of milk chocolate per 5 pounds of pet.

Dog Eating Chocolate Causes:

Candy, desserts and baking chocolate.

Dog Eating Chocolate Treatment:

If the pet just recently ingested the chocolate (eg. within the last 4 hours), they can be administered apomorphine, which will cause them to vomit up the chocolate from the stomach. When chocolate that has passed the stomach, your veterinarian can administer activated charcoal by mouth to help prevent absorption of the chocolate. In addition, the pet may be sedated to slow rapid heart rates. Specific heart medication may be administered if deemed necessary due to irregular heart beats. Intravenous fluids may be given to prevent dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea. Fluids can also help “flush” the theobromide out of the body. Valium may be administered if the pet is seizuring.

Dog Eating Chocolate Prevention:

Easy! Just keep chocolate away and out of reach of your pet.