Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs

Chocolate poisoning is common in dogs, but the effects depend on the size of the dog and the amount and quality of the chocolate it's eaten.

Dogs and humans both enjoy chocolate, but unlike humans, dogs can be poisoned by chocolate, sometimes fatally.

Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, and it's this that is so toxic to dogs.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and increased urination. More sever cases can cause muscle tremors, convulsions and coma.

Unsweetened baking chocolate can contain more than six times as much theobromine as milk chocolate, although amounts vary depending on the cocoa beans. Less than four ounces of ordinary milk chocolate can be potentially lethal for a small dog.

Dogs that eat a small amount of chocolate should be able to filter it through their systems. But in more serious situations, dogs are generally treated by inducing vomiting and administering activated charcoal to absorb any poisons remaining in the digestive system, but take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

Treatment for chocolate poisoning may need to last for several days since theobromine is eliminated from the dog's body very slowly.

Different sizes of dog will react differently to ingesting chocolate so remember It's not the amount of chocolate that kills a dog but the size of the dog eating it.