Chocolate & Dogs

[Dot]

It's hard to believe a delicious treat like chocolate can be extremely toxic to dogs but it's critically important for your pet's welfare that it stays off the menu this Easter.
Why chocolate is poisonous to dogs

The culprit is a compound called theobromine which causes cardiac, kidney and neurological dysfunction in dogs. Chocolate poisoning symptoms develop between four and 24 hours after consumption, initially including diarrhoea, vomiting and hyperactivity.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning

As theobromine is absorbed into the bloodstream, an affected dog may experience increased heart rate (which can cause arrhythmia), muscle twitching, increased urination and excessive panting (which may lead to hyperthermia) muscle tremors, seizures, coma and, ultimately, death.


What to do if your dog accidentally eats chocolate

The following steps will help your vet calculate whether your dog has consumed a toxic dose of chocolate and assist the treatment plan:


Get your dog to your vet as soon as you become aware they've eaten chocolate.

Tell your vet how much chocolate you dog has eaten.

Pinpoint when your dog ate the chocolate.

Be specific about the type of chocolate your dog has eaten (show the vet chocolate wrappers or box if you can so that they can see the ingredients).

Treatment for chocolate poisoning

There is no antidote to theobromine so in most cases your vet will make the dog vomit. They may also flush out your pet's stomach and feed the animal activated charcoal to absorb any residual theobromine.

Treatment might also include intravenous fluids and heart, blood pressure and seizure medication.

If you are a long distance from veterinary help, you can make up a solution of strong salt water and force it in to the dog orally, or a small handful of plain washing soda crystals (eg lectric soda) straight down the hatch, should induce vomiting within minutes.

While chocolate ingestion can cause significant stress on your dog's system, prompt intervention and treatment results in a positive prognosis for poisoned dogs - even in cases where a large amount of chocolate has been ingested.


Did you know... Due to the concentration of Theobromine in dark chocolate, toxicity is up to four times more severe in dark chocolate than it is in milk chocolate?

[dapope]

We have to watch our mutt, he is a bit fond of it given half a chance. Got nearly a whole packet of tim tams one night...
Crumbs is all he gets now..

[Greynomad]

Had a near-miss with The Mad Lab a coupla years ago... managed to down 900g of Belgian choccies (bought for Christmas Day) while we were out to dinner.
Instant call to Melb Uni Vet Clinic - which fortunately for us was only a couple of km away - and rushed him down there.
He came away 1.5kg lighter, and hyperactive for 24 hrs.
The vet said it was our prompt reaction which saved him.

So I heartily endorse Dot's warning:

NO choccies or easter eggs (unless they came out of a chook's bum) for your canine mates, please!

[glenda]

An important post Dot It is only a few years ago I found out chocolate was bad for dogs but I never knew why
Thanks
Glenda

[generdawg]

Not sure why, but apparently according to Doctor Harry Cooper, pizza is also on the no-no list.
Saw a show he did where a couple of girls brought in a German Shepard that had some and he said, "tell me how much, I NEED TO KNOW". He was deadly serious.

dawg (please no debate. I'm only reporting what he said)

[pop's coaster54]

Hi.
When i had chocolate my boy shy the bull terrior had chocolate it was like that for about 12/14 years,
not even a visit to the vet in all that time about the chocolate only visit the vet for his needles,
and his check ups he was one happy boy and so was i.

Karen,Ron and the Girls.

Just coasting along.

[Dot]

Onions and also sultanas (grapes) are also on the no no list as well as ANY cooked bones and yes I know there are those dim whits that say I have fed my dog cooked bones for yrs la la la la but it may just come back one day to the detriment of your loyal friend. Playing Russian roulette with any one or your animal friends life is selfish and stupid.