You might already know that chocolate is unhealthy for dogs, but do you know how much chocolate it would take to kill your puppy? This article will cover the symptoms, consequences, and preventative measures you should be aware of to prevent chocolate poisoning in your dog this holiday season.
As a dog owner, you might already be aware of some facts related to harm, like chocolate poisoning in dogs and how much and what types of chocolate will be dangerous to your pet. So let’s start by figuring out how something sweet like chocolate can harm your pet.
Contents
Dogs and chocolate
Dogs can have a severe reaction to chocolate; the severity of chocolate poisoning depends on the dog’s size and how much chocolate it eats. If a dog has eaten chocolate, it should be closely observed for 72 hours to see if there are any signs of poisoning. The necessary first steps are determining how much chocolate is too much, which kinds are the most dangerous, and what signs might mean your dog needs medical help after eating chocolate.
Why does Chocolate Poisoning common
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans containing caffeine and a similar chemical called theobromine. Theobromine is part of a group of chemicals called methylxanthines, which are dangerous for pets. Even though these natural chemicals are perfectly safe for humans, dogs can easily get poisoned with a small dose of chocolate. Dog chocolate toxicity is mainly because of how dogs’ bodies work. Because the dogs’ metabolisms are usually much slower than ours, chemicals remain in their bodies due to their slower reaction.
These unmetabolized theobromines enter the blood circulation and attack the dog’s nervous system and heart, which rise to levels that could kill them. Especially for small puppies, any type of chocolate dosage is low and makes it more severe than typical dog varieties.
First, you need to find out how dangerous chocolate is for your dog and take preventive measures to keep them safe.
What Kinds of Chocolate are Lethal to Dogs?
Let us learn in-depth about chocolate varieties and dosages that can be lethal to your dog.
- White Chocolate: As white chocolate has the least quantity of cocoa, it would take around 2 ounces to cause death in a dog.
- Milk chocolate: Due to its higher theobromine concentration, a 10-pound dog would die after eating only half of a milk chocolate candy bar.
- Dark Chocolate: Even just one ounce of dark chocolate can kill a dog because it has enough theobromine.
- Cocoa Powder: Theobromine levels in pure cacao powder are the highest, making it the most lethal form of chocolate.
- Baking or cooking chocolate: between 1 and 2 ounces for every pound your dog weighs can be the maximum limit for your pet.
- Sugar-free chocolate: Beware of this category of chocolate as it contains a sweetener called “xylitol,” which is very harmful to dogs. It only takes a little to kill. If the dog lives long enough, it causes a rapid decrease in blood sugar and liver failure.
Always remember that chocolate’s theobromine level increases with the percentage of cocoa solids (refer to the table below).
| Chocolate category | Theobromine content | Lethal dosage |
| White Chocolate | 0.01 mg | Between 1 and 2 ounces per pound of your dog’s weight |
| Milk Chocolate | 2.4 mg | Between 1 ounce per pound of your dog’s weight |
| Dark Chocolate | 5.5 mg | Less than 1 ounce of your dog’s weight |
| Cooking or Baking Chocolate | 16 mg | Around 1 ounce per pound of your dog’s weight |
| Sweet Cacao | 60 mg | A Maximum of 0.3 ounces per pound of your dog’s weight |
The lethal dosage of chocolate for dogs?
It only takes 0.3 ounces of highly concentrated chocolate per pound of a dog’s body weight to cause deadly poisoning. Milder chocolates come in half-ounce to two-ounce quantities. Due to the theobromine availability, chocolates are permanently off-limits to your beloved dog.
| Dog Category(Based on weight) | Lethal Dosage of Milk Chocolate | Lethal Dosage of Dark Chocolate |
| Toy Type (3-4 kg) | 27g | 11g |
| Small Type (6-8 kg) | 53g | 22g |
| Medium Type (16-23 kg) | 140g | 58g |
| Large Type (30-35 kg) | 261g | 109g |
| Giant (58-89 kg) | 496g | 206g |
What are the common signs of chocolate poisoning?
Between 6 and 12 hours after eating chocolate, your dog should show signs of being sick. Dogs older or with heart problems are more likely to die from chocolate poisoning. Here are some of the symptoms you could experience from your pet for up to three days after eating chocolate in high dosages:
● Diarrhea and vomiting
● Frequent urination
● Restlessness and rapid breathing
● Tremors and unsteadiness on the feet
● High body temperature
● Agitation
● Death in severe cases
If your dog has consumed more than the low-toxic dose mentioned above for a different category of chocolate, it will start showing symptoms of poisoning immediately.
If more than the severe toxicity level is eaten, seizures, tremors, a fast or slow heart rate, and even collapse can happen. The risk of deadly poisoning is directly proportional to how much chocolate your puppy has eaten.
How to treat when your dog eats chocolate
The first thing you should have to do is see a vet as soon as you can after making the appointment. Make sure to bring the original package of chocolate and an estimate of how much may have been eaten to the vet so they can figure out what the problem is and how bad it is.
Remember that if your regular vet’s office is closed, you can still contact one via live chat or video. Considering your dog’s size, how much, and what kind of chocolate it ate, your vet may tell you to check your dog for the symptoms listed above and call them if they get worse.
Depending on your dog’s situation, the vet may ask you to bring it to the clinic. If your pet ate the chocolate within the last two hours, your vet might throw it up and give it a lot of activated charcoal, which helps remove toxins from the body without letting them get into the bloodstream and causing poisoning.
Methods for Protecting Your Dog from Chocolate Poisoning
1. Separate storage away from your pet
Your responsibilities as a pet owner play a significant role in keeping pets safe. Keep your chocolates in sealed containers and store them in cupboards or pantry locations out of your dog’s reach.
2. Train your dog for a command.
Use the “leave it” command if your dog tries to eat chocolate while you are far away. Thus, your pet will understand when to stop.
3. Be cautious on these occasions.
Generally, Easter and Christmas are high-risk seasons for dogs to find chocolate near them. So, keep chocolate mixtures and cartons out of your pet’s reach.
4. Crate Train
Crate training is the most efficient way to keep your dog from ingesting toxic things while you are away. Find a strong crate large enough for your dog to spin around and stand in, and give them a secure, pleasant place to go when they want to be alone or when you are unable to supervise them.
Summary of the Article
The effects of chocolate on dogs differ depending on the kind of chocolate. Similarly, the dog might be fatally poisoned by chocolate if it consumes just 0.3 to 2.0 ounces per pound of body weight. Keep an eye out for indications of chocolate poisoning in your pet so that you can treat it as soon as possible if it occurs without creating any worst-case scenarios.
