To understand how much chocolate can hurt a dog you first need to understand the ingredients that makes up chocolate. The things that hurt your dog are called theobromine and caffeine. Both of these substances come from cocoa beans, which are a type of ingredient in chocolate that make it so delicious.
For example, one ounce of milk chocolate contains about 5 grams of sugar—a little more than a teaspoon. That might not seem like much, but it’s enough to make your average-sized dog sick. A chocolate bar also has about 5 grams of sugar and almost 12 grams of fat. So if you’re thinking about giving your dog a piece of chocolate candy or a chocolate bar, think again. You might kill them!
That’s why we’ve created this calculator: to help you estimate how much chocolate would be lethal for your dog based on their weight and what kind of chocolate they ate. We’ve also included some other important information below so you know exactly how much danger your pet is in when they eat any amount of chocolate at all!
How much chocolate can hurt a dog
Theobromine is the chemical in chocolate that can cause serious illness in dogs. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains.
Theobromine is a methylxanthine, which is a naturally occurring chemical found in some plants and animals. Theobromine can be found in cocoa beans and chocolate, but it’s also present in tea leaves, cola nuts and yerba mate.
Theobromine acts as a stimulant to dogs, cats and horses—and unfortunately for our pets, these animals aren’t able to tolerate the same amount of theobromine that we can. While humans have an enzyme that breaks down theobromine before it reaches toxic levels, dogs don’t have this ability. As such, they’re more susceptible than humans are to the effects of too much chocolate consumption by dogs (or other types of methylxanthines).
One ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is a potentially toxic dose in dogs.
Milk chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical compound that is toxic to dogs. The amount of milk chocolate that can be toxic to a dog varies depending on the size, age and health of your dog. Chocolate toxicity in dogs is often referred to as “theobromine poisoning.”
One ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is a potentially toxic dose in dogs. For example: If your dog weighs 15 pounds and eats one ounce (28 grams) of milk chocolate, he or she may develop serious health problems such as seizures or even die from theobromine poisoning.
In general, the darker the chocolate, the greater the risk. Baking chocolate contains eight to 10 times more theobromine than milk chocolate by weight.
As you can see, the type of chocolate is extremely important. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. In general, dark chocolate is 8-10 times as potent as milk chocolate. With this in mind, let’s look at some specific examples:
- Baking chocolate contains about 50% cocoa solids and therefore roughly eight times as much theobromine as regular milk chocolate. One ounce (28 grams) of baking chips can be fatal to a 20-pound dog; a 5-ounce bar would kill an 80-pound dog!
- Semisweet or bittersweet chocolates contain between 30% and 60% cocoa solids. An ounce of semisweet or bittersweet will kill a 20-pound dog if eaten in one sitting; an 80-pound dog would need to consume around 3 ounces before succumbing to its effects on their health.
If your dog eats 2 ounces of baking chocolate, he’s ingested approximately 360 milligrams of theobromine, which is enough to make him seriously ill or kill him.
If your dog eats 2 ounces of baking chocolate, he’s ingested approximately 360 milligrams of theobromine, which is enough to make him seriously ill or kill him.
Theobromine is a stimulant that can cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs. In fact, when it’s in the stomach, it actually causes vomiting so that your dog gets rid of what he ate before it hits his bloodstream. But if he ate enough chocolate (or drank too much caffeine), his heart may start beating faster than normal and begin to fail due to an abnormal heart rhythm called tachycardia. Your vet will be able to give you more specific details about how much chocolate could hurt a dog based on its size and weight—and whether or not its symptoms include seizures or muscle spasms—but luckily there are steps you can take if this happens: keep your pet cool with wet cloths around their neck; watch for signs of shock (pale gums); monitor their breathing rate carefully; call emergency services immediately if necessary; try giving them water from time-to-time over several hours until they start feeling better again!
One ounce of baking chocolate can poison a 20-pound dog.
How much chocolate can hurt a dog?
Depending on the type of chocolate, one ounce can be toxic to a 20-pound dog. For example, if your dog weighs less than that and ingests 1 tablespoon (about 3 ounces) of baking cocoa powder, he will have ingested enough to make him sick. However, if he eats just one ounce of semisweet baking chocolate or one Hershey kiss (1 gram each), he will have consumed enough for it to become a problem.