Everyone loves chocolate, but can too much dark chocolate kill a dog? That is an important question to ask if you have a dog in the house. While we all love chocolate, our pets are another story. Most pet owners agree that dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate at all. Labs, who are often considered America’s favorite dogs because of the sheer number of them in households across the country, should in no way have any chocolate!
Chocolate poisoning is deadly in dogs — it can kill them. If you don’t believe me, how much dark chocolate can kill a dog? It may surprise you to learn that a dog’s mortality rate from chocolate poisoning is 100%. What’s more, how much dark chocolate can kill a dog? A lethal dose of chocolate differs between species and even depends on the type (Milk, Dark or White) and on the size of the dog.
How much dark chocolate can kill a dog?
The answer is: it depends on the dog.
Dogs are not the same size and weight as humans, and their bodies process things differently. As a rule of thumb, though, it’s safe to say that dogs weighing less than 20 pounds should not eat any chocolate at all—not even white chocolate or milk chocolate. If your dog is smaller than that, you should keep him away from all kinds of chocolate.
If your dog weighs between 20 and 50 pounds, he could probably handle eating one small piece of dark chocolate (like 1 ounce), but you should monitor him for symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours afterward. If he shows no signs of illness after 24 hours, then he’s probably fine!
If your dog weighs more than 50 pounds, he could probably handle eating two small pieces (2 ounces) of dark chocolate without any problem. Again, monitor him for 24 hours for any symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea; if there are none after 24 hours, then you’re good!
How much dark chocolate can kill a dog
The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for your dog.
The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for your dog. Dark chocolate contains higher concentrations of theobromine, which is a stimulant and toxic to dogs.
Theobromine is similar to caffeine in humans, but has different effects on dogs’ bodies and stays in their systems longer than caffeine does. That means that even if you give your dog a small amount of dark chocolate, he can still end up with problems like vomiting or diarrhea as his body tries to get rid of what’s left over.
The smaller the dog, the greater its chance of getting sick.
Chocolate is toxic to dogs because of theobromine, a chemical found in cocoa beans. The darker the chocolate and the more cocoa it contains, the higher the concentration of this substance. Dark chocolate can kill a dog very quickly.
Smaller dogs are at greater risk for chocolate toxicity than larger dogs because they metabolize food more slowly and therefore have a longer duration of exposure to chocolate’s effects. A 20-pound dog may only need one ounce of dark chocolate to become ill, while larger breeds may require up to seven ounces before they’re affected by it.
Signs of poisoning include vomiting, a rapid pulse and problems walking.
The signs of poisoning are vomiting, a rapid pulse and problems walking. Some dogs may even become depressed or sleepy following the consumption of dark chocolate. Vomiting will occur within 15 minutes to an hour after eating dark chocolate, while seizures could occur two to six hours later. Diarrhea is also typically seen soon after ingestion of dark chocolate and can last for up to 24 hours following ingestion. If your dog has consumed some type of poison, call a veterinarian immediately!
Chocolate is bad for dogs because it contains an ingredient called theobromine or caffeine.
Chocolate is bad for dogs because it contains an ingredient called theobromine or caffeine. Theobromine is a bitter, colorless crystalline substance found in cacao beans and other foods made from them. It’s toxic to dogs and cats, but not humans. Theobromine is similar to caffeine in that both are alkaloids that stimulate the central nervous system by blocking adenosine receptors in your dog’s brain.
A serving of milk chocolate is enough to kill a 20-pound dog.
In the case of milk chocolate, just one ounce could be enough to kill a 20-pound dog.
Dogs are affected by theobromine in dark chocolate as well. But it takes more of it to cause toxic levels of poisoning in dogs than it does for humans. A 1-ounce serving of milk chocolate can be toxic to a 50-pound dog; a similarly sized dog would need 3 ounces of dark chocolate before they’d start showing symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
In general, smaller dogs are more susceptible to poisoning from whatever source than larger ones because their bodies have less internal surface area for the toxins to spread through before they’re filtered out by the liver and kidneys—but that doesn’t mean you should leave your box of Valentine’s Day chocolates on top of your fridge when Fido gets nosey!
You should call your vet if you think your pet ate chocolate and see if you need to bring her in.
The best thing you can do if you think your pet ate chocolate is call your vet and ask for advice. The vet may want to see your pet, or he might just tell you what signs to look for and how much of that type of chocolate it would take to cause toxicity. If the vet tells you to bring him in, bring the box with any remaining pieces of chocolate in it so that an accurate diagnosis can be made. If the box is long gone but there’s still some kind of evidence that your dog ingested something sweet and brown, such as wrappers or crumbs, try taking a sample of it along with you when visiting the veterinary clinic.
Dogs can die from eating chocolate because it contains theobromine.
Methylxanthines, like caffeine and theobromine, are chemicals found in chocolate. While they can be beneficial to humans, they are harmful to dogs.
Theobromine is a type of methylxanthine and it’s similar to caffeine. It is toxic to animals and can cause death in large doses due to its stimulant effects on the central nervous system (CNS).
Theobromine has three main effects on your dog:
- Stimulation of the CNS – causes increased heart rate and blood pressure; this could lead to seizures or even death if their heart rate increases too much
- Vomiting – causes vomiting after ingestion of chocolate products; this may also lead to diarrhea because your dog will lose fluids as well as possible aspiration pneumonia if vomit enters their lungs