Chocolate is one of most commonly ingested toxins by dogs. The amount of chocolate ingested, the type of chocolate (dark, white, bittersweet, etc), and size of your dog make a difference is whether or not the chocolate is going to be a problem or not. In general the darker the chocolate the more toxic it is. If your dog accidentally ingests chocolate, contact a veterinarian immediately.
Why is chocolate toxic?
There are two toxic components in chocolate: caffeine and theobromine. Theobromine acts very similarly to caffeine. Both of them can cause diuresis, increased heart rate, contraction of the blood vessels. Chocolate is also high in fat and sugar which can cause gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis.
Signs of Chocolate poisoning
Clinical signs typically take several hours to develop because the chocolate needs to be digested. The clinical signs can last up to 36 hours in severe cases.
Vomiting/diarrhea
Restlessness/hyperexcitability
Increase in drinking and urinating
Increased heart rate or irregular heart rhythm
Tremors
Seizures
Coma
How much chocolate is toxic?
As previously state, the type of chocolate makes a big difference in the amount of chocolate that can be consumed without issues.
Book mark these two sites: Chocolate Toxicity Calculator and Animal Poison Control. The chocolate toxicity calculator allows you to plug in your dog’s weight, amount of chocolate ingested, and type of chocolate to determine if your dog is in danger of clinical signs. The Animal Poison Control has a 24/7/365 number that you can call to see what recommendations there are for your dog if they ingested chocolate: (888) 426-4435. If your regular veterinarian is available they should be contacted immediately.
Treatment
Treatment can vary depending on the type of clinical signs noted. If there are no signs noted, then the most common treatment is to induce vomiting to try to remove as much chocolate as possible from the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally activated charcoal may be used to bind any theobromine in the gastrointestinal tract already. Hospitalization with IV fluids, antacids, and anti-nausea medications may be needed. Treatment with medications to control abnormal heart rates/rhythms, tremors, and high blood pressures may be also be needed.
Prognosis
Prognosis is very good for dogs who have decontamination and treatment early. Dogs that develop seizures and heart abnormalities have a less favorable prognosis.
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