A lot of dog owners are not aware of the fact that dog and chocolates don’t go together well…that is if the chocolate is ingested by the dog. If you are one of these owners what would you do if you have unknowingly allowed to dog to lap the melted chocolate ice cream or allowed the dog to have a go at the left over Black Forest Cake? Dogs are much similar to humans in that both have the cravings for sweets. Because we love chocolates, our pets somehow have developed a taste for this sweet delicacy too. It would not be uncommon for dog owners to share with the pet whatever they are eating thus chocolate lovers have dogs that are introduced to chocolates.

The hapless chocolate candy bar can kill the dog because it contains theobromine. This simple chemical compound can not be digested by the dog and once ingested would have a dreadful effect on the cardiovascular system and the nervous system of the dog.

The body weight of the dog, the dog’s sensitivity and the concentration of the chocolate accounts for the toxicity effect. Bakers chocolate and unsweetened chocolate are purer chocolates meaning that they contain a higher concentration of the theobromine. This means that a 20 lbs. dog consuming a 5 ounce milk chocolate would merely have digestive problems as compared to a dog with the same body weight that can die because it has ingested a 5 ounce Bakers chocolate.

Dogs that have ingested small amount of chocolate would show signs of poisoning in a day or two. Diarrhea and vomiting are the usual signs. Immediate treatment is necessary to prevent dehydration. However, dogs that have consumed large amounts of chocolate would show poisoning signs in a matter of hours. Both cases would need medical attention but the latter is an urgent situation. Take your dog to a medical facility at once. This kind of poisoning if not attended to at once could result to the death of the dog. The vet would usually induce vomiting, administer activated charcoal and monitor the signs of toxicity. Chocolate poisoning has no antidote and prevention is certainly better than cure. Keep the chocolates in well covered containers. We love chocolates but for sure we love our dogs more!

A dog that has ingested sufficient amount of chocolate would vomit and have diarrhea. As the theobromide affects the central nervous system the dog would show agitation, hyperactivity, muscle tremors and restlessness. Abnormal heart activity will also be noticed (slow or fast heart beat). The toxins in the chocolate acts a diuretic that make the dog urinate frequently.