What to do if dog ate chocolate
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What if My Dog Ate Chocolate?
Did you know that around Christmas time, Valentine's Day and Easter the veterinary hospital I worked for was bombarded by franctic phone calls about "my dog ate chocolate"? Everybody loves chocolate and so it comes as no surprise when Lassie goes for a chocolate fix. If your dog ate your last batch of brownies or stole your unattended bag of Oreo cookies, you have reason to be concerned, as chocolate can be harmful to dogs. At the vet clinic we used to take these phone calls very seriously.
The culprit of chocolate intolerance in dogs is a substance found in chocolate called "Theobromine". The level of chocolate toxicity in dogs is determined by various factors: the amount ingested, the concentration of theobromine, the over all health status of the dog and the size and weight of the dog. The effects may range from a mild stomach upset, excitability, to even a potentially fatal cardiac arrest. But how much is too much? How can an owner know when it is time to rush their beloved dog to the vet or simply keep a watchful eye on him/her?
A vet explains chocolate toxicity in dogs
How Much Chocolate is Too Much?
It is really difficult to determine an exact toxic levels as there are different factors to keep in mind and sometimes the toxic effects may also vary on an in individual basis ( just like in humans one alcoholic drink may cause one person to feel dizzy while another may still feel sober on his third drink). As a general rule of thumb, the toxic levels of chocolate in dogs according to PetPlace veterinarians are as follows. Note that the lower range is likely to cause mild signs whereas the higher range is likely to cause severe toxicity.
- White chocolate 45 ounces to 90 ounces per pound of body weight. A 20 pound dog would need to ingest 55 pounds to exhibit nervous system signs.
- Milk chocolate 0.7 ounces to 2 ounces per pound of body weight. A 20 pound dog would have to ingest a little less than one pound to exhibit nervous system signs.
- Semi-sweet chocolate 1/3 ounce to 1 ounce per body weight. A 20 pound dog would have to ingest only 6 ounces to exhibit nervous system signs.
- Baking chocolate 0.1 ounce to 0.3 ounces per body weight. A 20 pound dog would have to ingest 2 ounces to exhibit nervous system signs. All it takes for a 10 pound dog to exhibit nervous system signs is one ounce!
Generally, the darker and more bitter the chocolate, the higher its theobromine contents.It is very important to determine, therefore, the type of chocolate ingested and the amount. This information is often found on the candy wrapper. At the same time, it is also important to know well the dog's weight.
Confused by all these numbers? Use this cool tool, virtual dog chocolate toxicity calculator crafted by veterinarian Dr. Marie by visiting this link: Dog Chocolate Calculator. No guarantees of accuracy can be made.
How to Induce Vomiting in Dogs who ate chocolate less than 2 hours ago
What to Do if Dog Ate Chocolate?
So what to do once your realize your dog has ingested a toxic dose? The best thing to do is to contact your veterinarian and follow his instructions. He/she will need to know the amount of chocolate ingested, how long ago it was ingested and the weight of your dog. He/she may ask you to induce vomiting if your dog ingested the chocolate less than 2 hours ago. This is the time when the chocolate is still in the stomach.
Always keep on hand 3% hydrogen peroxide which will help dog induce vomiting. Your vet will tell you much to give to induce vomiting. Unfortunately, vomiting alone, may not be sufficient, since some of the theobromine may still be absorbed. Your dog may require further treatment at the vet's hospital. Keep in mind that there is no antidote for chocolate poisoning, therefore, treatment is mostly supportive!
Symptoms suggesting chocolate toxicity include (don't wait for these to happen! the sooner you see your vet the better chances of recovery and the cheaper on your wallet!) *Note:chocolate mulch can also cause toxicity in dogs!
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Hyperactivity
- Panting
- Increased urination
- High blood pressure
- High heart rate
- Seizures
- Coma
These symptoms may only develop after 12 hours post ingestion. If your dog, therefore, ingested a toxic dose don't assume that just because he is doing fine he will not get sick! See your vet immediately instead!
Always keep chocolate and candy bars away from your furry friend. Always keep on hand 3% hydrogen peroxide and activated charcoal. Very likely, the quicker you act the better the prognosis. Generally, dogs treated within 4 hours have the highest chances of survival should they have ingested a toxic dose. Time is of the essence therefore, do not delay treatment, rather call your vet for advice and follow it carefully.
Disclaimer: If your dog ingested chocolate and you are not sure how much or are not sure what to do please seek veterinary advice immediately or call your vet for instructions. If your vet is closed, seek help from a 24 hour animal emergency center immediately or call the ASPCA poison control at (888) 426-4435 - a$65charge applies-
*Note: I am not a vet and as such I am not qualified to determine if your dog will get sick or not from eating chocolate. Call your vet for advice! Give your vet your dog's weight, type and amount of chocolate ingested and how long ago. By reading this article you automatically accept this disclaimer.
- How and when to induce vomiting in your dog
A time may come when we find out too late that our puppy or dog has ingested something potentially harmful or even poisonous requiring treatment at once. There are are a few things that can be done at home...
Did you know chocolate was poisonous to dogs?
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Dog Ate Chocolate CommentsLoading...
It really depends on the type of chocolate and how much your dog weighs. I would not have given the milk because if the Hershey kisses were the milk chocolate ones, too much milk may cause diarrhea.
If they were the milk chocolate ones the good news is that milk chocolate, is much more "safe" compared to baking chocolate or cocoa. You need to do some math on how many ounces each kiss weighs and how many pounds your dog weighs. Here is a link to a good table for these type of calculations:http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S
If she ate just four or five she should be fine especially is she is on the larger side. At worse, a bit of upset tummy and diarrhea may pay a visit.
You should never give your dog chocolate,it is harmful to them. I'm an Veterinary Assistant, I'm always careful with chocolate and I keep it away from my dog.
My dog ate a resis pieces then now won't stop eattin stuff from everywhere what should I do?????!!!!!????? =(
Greetings, sorry for the delay in answering your question. We are on different time zones as I am vacationing in Europe at this time. Hope your dog is feeling better by now. Just one reeses piece should not be sufficient to cause chocolate toxicity. If your dog weighed 5 pounds it would take 4 ounces of milk chocolate to cause toxicity. A reeses pieces therefore may contain a very small amount (check the label as it may even not contain chocolate at all!)
However, your dog appears to be eating stuff from everywhere? What do you mean by that? Is your dog sort of acting panickly, licking off the floor, walls and eating anything in sight? This may be a sign of nausea or something stuck in the throat such as a foxtail.
For future reference here is a table about chocolate toxicity:
Hello! I have a miniature poodle puppy who weighs about 5 pounds. A few months ago she got into a half bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. She ate the ENTIRE remainder of the bag (about 6 oz.) I had no idea she had even eaten it until she started vomiting chocolate. Immediately, I called an after-hour emergency vet. I gave her hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. She had vomited at least 5 or 6 HUGE piles of melted chocolate. After about an hour and a half after ingestion, regardless of all the vomiting, she started showing some strange behavior. Her limbs were twitching sporadically and she wouldn't sit still. I decided to take her to the emergency vet. They had recommended a few things - EKG monitoring, activated charcoal, medication to get her heart rate down... I didn't have much money, so I decided on the activated charcoal. Luckily, she had vomited most of the chocolate up now the charcoal could absorb toxins in the stuff that was still in her system. When I took her home, she wouldn't sit still. She reminded me of someone who had had too much coffee. Finally, she got to sleep.
The point is when your dog eats chocolate, it's important to take action. The vet told me if I had not done anything, my dog would have died without question. Depending on the size of your dog, the type of chocolate it eats, and the amount of chocolate it eats, your dog could be in danger. If you are unsure of the amount your dog ate, it's still a good idea to use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting if you know the ingestion wasn't long ago. The appropriate dose of hydrogen peroxide is one teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.
Hope my experience helps!
We have a minature poodle/ bishon that is 18 months old & weighs 20-21 lbs. He ate 2 pieces of dark chocolate (about .5-.6 oz. ). What should we do?
We have a minature poodle/ bishon that is 18 months old & weighs 20-21 lbs. He ate 2 pieces of dark chocolate (about .5-.6 oz. ). What should we do?
My 70lb goldendoodle ate cookies and brownies. I am not sure how many and what kind of chocolate. what do i do??
Sorry I usually check my comments once a day and sometimes I get to them only in the evening. How is he doing? I hope you were able to call your vet.
My Miniature Doberman Pincher weighing 2.5 kilos and 15months old ate a huge bar of dark chocolate with nuts. she has vomitted a couple of times but her stomach is big and she is restless. after about three hours she is trying to sleep. The vet is not available as it is midnight. What do we do?
It is good she vomited but I am concerned about her being restless and her stomach being bloated, please seek an emergency vet ASAP, they are open 24 hours.
My 10 lb yorkie ate some bit size milk chocolates him n my other dog ate a bag of maybe 20 pieces. They aye them around 2pm I did the Prox. At 6 pm they both got sick but now my yorkie is wobblely but is sleeping now n is just really slow! We don't have 25 he vets? But I was thinking maybe his just sick bc he poked b4 I gave him Prox n after! Hope this makes since I'm at work n my bf called n to watch him ?
hello,
my beagle just all but 3 out of a box of chocolates... (about 25 of them)... Shes pukeing alot( about 7 times) since i came home from school... its now 7:00 and I suspect she ate the chocolates between 1:20 and 3:00........ Im very wooried because shes my best friend and scared shes going to get sick... what should I do???
Thanks,
Thanks for the great info and creating awareness! I am definitely going to keep my chocolate in a safe place from now on. I had no idea it was so dangerous for my pets.
i had a full sized willy wonka choclate bar and i left to use the bathroom and when i came back it was gone. i have a girl beagle, about 2 years old... here is a picture of the candy. should i try giving her some food that has protien because it helps her digest things better..? i don't know if this has to do with anything but, when i usually come home she is very hyperactive and starts howling, as if i was gone for a long time.
My 8 pound chihuahua just ate two .6oz chocolate bars, will he be okay?
Hannah, it depends on your dog's weight and the type of chocolate used in the bar, here is a guide for you:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/why-dogs-can-t-eat-ch
If in doubt, call an animal hospital and they will tell you over the phone what to do.
Hi, I just wanted to thank you for posting these, and being active on checking your comments. This shows your awareness and dedication. I was worries about my golden retriever puppy, but now I know shell be fine because of you. All in all thanks! Keep up the awesome work! :)
Cheers!
Awww, thank you! These posts make me feel happy and helpful...what and how much chocolate did she eat? Keep an eye on her and if you are not sure about something please consult with your vet.Kind regards!
Thank, thank you thank you. my dog ate white chocolate and I was getting sick over this, so happy it is not that bad as other types of chocolate.
My dog ate chocolate and got sick but was ok afterwards, would vomiting it make him out of the woods?
If he vomited withing 2 hours of ingesting it, technically yes, if you think he vomited the whole amount he ate.
I just induced vomiting in my lab because he ate a few hershey kisses, only now I saw it probably was not necessary! because he is big and it was milk chocolate, oh well. Sorry Rover! Well... now at least now I know what to do if he really eats a toxic amount!
Well, yes, you should know by now how well the hydrogen peroxide works!
My dog ate a milk chocolate bar and was fine afterward, no diarrhea, no vomiting, not hyper. I guess the dose was not enough to create problems?
My chocolate lab ate a tray of chocolate brownies about 12 hours ago. I induced vomiting with peroxide about an hour after she ate them. She seems fine, but I'm still worried. It's 1:25 a.m. & I can't sleep cause I'm looking for signs. She's sleeping soundly & I'm wide awake! How long after ingestion should I look for signs?
Janet, generally with chocolate toxicity you should see within 5 hours an irregular heart rate, tremors, seizures, hyperactivity. If your dog seems fine, most likely he vomited most of it. The fact he is a lab and vomited should make this unlikely. Keep an eye on him for the rest of the day, best wishes!
Awesome! the video from the vet really reassured me, thank you for posting this; it helped me feel better, if felt almost as if having a vet in my living room talking to me.
Rebeca 2 years ago
My dog ate three kisses maybe 4 or 5 kisses i gave him aglass of warm milk but i am still worried.