With halloween just around the corner and Christmas and Valentine's Day after and then Easter
and just plain in general...
Seems lots of people don't know the true dangers of chocolate or when they should worry or not.

ALL CHOCOLATE CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS!!! just depends on how much and how big the dogs is
(most of the time, white chocolate is just confection, does not actually contain any chocolate/theobromine)

http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOGS/chocolatetoxic.HTM


We've all heard it, "Don't give your dog chocolate it will kill him". We'll how true is it you're probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M's?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

Toxic Levels

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

On average,
Milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per oz.
Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg/oz.
Baker's chocolate 390mg/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 chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate.

So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker's chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems.

Clinical Signs

Xanthines affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs:

Hyper excitability
Hyper irritability
Increased heart rate
Restlessness
Increased urination
Muscle tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Treatment

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the the proper treatment for your pet.

Thanks Trudy, very interesting!

I have known dogs that have stolen chocolates and been fine after, maybe had upset tum so realised that a little probably wouldn't require a vet visit, but i avoid my dogs getting hold of any.

I am suprised by how many people give their dogs chocolate and don't realise the harm it can cause, so i'll try and remember some of this info to put them straight

I can attest to this, I lost Foxy to Chocolate poisoning. I don't think anyone really took it seriously (including the E-vet) but a couple of hours after I dropped him off at the E-vet (where he was given an IV and then ignored for 3 hours), most of which I spent with him thank god - he passed on due to cardiac arrest. I guess he got into a bag of chocolate chips at the babysitters one night and was gone by the next evening. If your dog eats any chocolate (especially bakers chocolate or dark chocolate) be sure to take him to the vet immediately, it may just save their life.

Signs I noticed were he was really pink and warm to the touch, was throwing up but otherwise happy and active and was sometimes a little wobbly - I had no idea what was wrong and thought it was just his car sickness. I hope this helps someone else so they don't go through what I had too. Rest in Peace sweet Foxy Man.