# How much chocolate is dangerouos - useful information



## flissyfjm

I don't know if this has been posted before - I got a link to an extremely useful website with a table showing just how much (or how little) chocolate or cocoa it takes to make dogs of different weights seriously ill. Most people know now that chocolate is dangerous for dogs - this site helps you understand the different levels of risk of different types of chocolate, related to the weight of the dog, and thus whether you need to seek immediate veterinary help if your pooch gets hold of some. I was shocked at the tiny amount of cocoa that could kill my little papillon.

Here is the address: The Chocolate Chart Interactive - National Geographic Magazine

(Thanks to Rosana Hart for details of the site)


----------



## Guest

That's really interesting. Hopefully all the new dog owners will see this.


----------



## sullivan

I was told that any amount of chocolate can be fatal depending on how your dog reacts to it. A safe bet is best stay clear completely. And if your dog does manage to consume any is to keep a close eye on it and seek vet help if required. I do understand that it is not always owners fault as a neighbour once posted a large bar of dairy milk through our door for our daughter not to realise our spaniel was going to eat the lot wrapper and all. I can home to a very sick dog with the runs to. Luckly he was ok but it just shows how easyily things happen.


----------



## shazza1969

Well my 10yr old springer pinched a whole box of Thorntons chocolate truffles last Xmas and thank god is still here to tell the tail with no side effects either


----------



## Katie&Cody

sullivan said:


> I was told that any amount of chocolate can be fatal depending on how your dog reacts to it. A safe bet is best stay clear completely. And if your dog does manage to consume any is to keep a close eye on it and seek vet help if required. I do understand that it is not always owners fault as a neighbour once posted a large bar of dairy milk through our door for our daughter not to realise our spaniel was going to eat the lot wrapper and all. I can home to a very sick dog with the runs to. Luckly he was ok but it just shows how easyily things happen.


As was i...
And i dont think TBH i will ever be an owner that feeds their dog chocs.
Thxs for the link x


----------



## Happy Paws2

I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


----------



## meisha

hi i beleive that a lethal dose is 7gm of baking choc or 60 gm of milk choc per kilo of dog weight

hopefully none of us will have to experience this!

x


----------



## Tureann

Happy Paws said:


> I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


So do I! All i have to know is that there's something toxic in it for our pups! As there is in many other aliments (for example onions...)!


----------



## Nina

Happy Paws said:


> I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


Absolutely agree


----------



## zoesmom

My 10 pound Chihuahua ate 25 to 30 Hershey's chocolate kisses. Called the vet about 20 minutes after I found she had gotten them, was told to give her some peroxide to make her vomit and then bring her in for them to see. We took her in to the vet and she was given some meds for her tummy and checked out by the vet. He said my quick response and the vomiting saved her. Never will I have chocolate candy in my home again!! Due to forgetfulness on my part, I did not realize I had left the candy on the table where she could climb up and get it.
I hope no one has to go through what we did and poor little Zoe had to suffer for my mistake.


----------



## crazybones

i am due a pup tuesday and wouldn't of gave choc to my dog but this has bin a real eye opener thanks alot


----------



## PoisonGirl

It really makes me mad when I see people feeding their dog things that can harm them.

''Oh this one little bit wont hurt''... but its not just one little bit.. its many ''one little bits'' a day, a week.. it all adds up! I yelled at someone outside tesco oneday- I came out to find them feeding my pup a whole bar of dairy milk- not the 'personal size' one with like 7 squares.. it was a medium sized one! Luckily they had only given her a couple of squares but I was mad at them- a)you do not feed someone elses dog outside a shop, b) chocolate is bad for dogs.. ''oh but she looked hungry'' some ppl are odd.

I read somehere that chewing gum has something in it that is poisonous to dogs if they swallow it too.. and i know of a few ppl who do not bother when their dog scrapes it up off the street.

Bottom line is, my dog NEVER gets to eat anthing that isn't her own dinner, treats or my dinner leftovers that I KNOW are ok for dogs to eat- it isn't worth the risk... One moment of happiness for your dog munching chocolate... years of agony if its fatal and you lose him.

x


----------



## peklove

I don't feed my dogs chocolate at all, not worth the risk.:nono:


----------



## Kuroku

poisongirl said:


> I read somehere that chewing gum has something in it that is poisonous to dogs if they swallow it too.. and i know of a few ppl who do not bother when their dog scrapes it up off the street.


Some brands contain Xylitol (also found in smints) which I've heard is very toxic to dogs.


----------



## gesic

Another thing to watch out for are grapes, raisens sultanas and currents.
its actually the seeds but large quantities can be fatal.


----------



## nellie_dean

It's a lot more than just chocolate!

Apparently there's a whole load of things to look out for - check out this list at What not to feed your dog - dangerous foods in your house

:scared:


----------



## *Princess*

i read you do not feed your dog onions or garlic as they are toxic to dogs but aload of dog recipes use garlic?


----------



## Guest

*Princess* said:


> i read you do not feed your dog onions or garlic as they are toxic to dogs but aload of dog recipes use garlic?


http://www.ukvet.co.uk/ukvet/articles/toxicology - raisins.pdf
I have linked to this site before, it also mentions onions and garlic


----------



## Burrowzig

It's not just chocolate. If you have a dog, don't use cocoa-shell mulch in the garden. It is palatable to dogs and contains the same toxin.


----------



## Robbie

Happy Paws said:


> I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


Totally agree..... I think that the problem with giving even a small quantity of chocolate is that it can give your dog the "taste" of it. Once tasted you may have a chocolate-holic dog.


----------



## Melysia

It is extremely dangerous. You can buy dog chocolate drops anyway if you really need to.


----------



## haeveymolly

Just wondering why chocolate doesnt effect all dogs, my springer managed to get a box of chocolates of the table how he got it i dont no, we came home to the empty box on the floor, it was a full box so there would have been a lot of chocolate consumed, it made no fifference to him at all.


----------



## gesic

It depends on the type of choc as well as amount the highr the cocoa solids the less u need...the darker the choc the more toxic it would b.
Also a box of chocs...lots will be coated fondents etc so not likely to be fatal. there used to be a saying....it takes a yorkie to kill a yorkie so thats a lot of milk choc for a little dog, wouldnt like to test the theory tho!
Death by chocolate! Sounds like the way to go 4 me


----------



## Guest

cant understand why anyone would give a dog chocolate:confused5:


----------



## turkeylad

Happy Paws said:


> I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


Absolutely why take the risk!!


----------



## RowanWolf

Completely agree..it is dangerous. It can cause heart disease as far as I'm aware..a dog gaining weight is the least of your worries!


----------



## Changes

Many years ago at christmas I left my collie while I popped to the shops, while I was gone he somehow managed to open a tin of chocolates that were wrapped up under the christmas tree he then unwrapped each and every chocolate and by the time I arrived home he had eaten the lot, all that was left was a mountain of wrappers, thankfully he didn't suffer any side effects at all and I learnt that chocolate no matter what container they are in have to be hidden some place in the house that he can't find them.

Some dogs can sniff out drugs some can sniff out mines some can even sniff out illness my dog would be the champion chocolate sniffer


----------



## amor

In my own view,too much of everything is bad so chocolate intake by pet should be reduced.


----------



## germanshepherds

I say if you want to give your dogs chocolate go to your local pet shop and get dog chocs its safer. do not give them normal chocolate


----------



## ramboto

I think it just depends on the chocolate brand...or maybe some of the ingredients present in those choco bars..therefore we have to be extra careful watching what our dogs are munching...


----------



## mypetchat

It's really very interesting and the good information for all the dog owners.I have also studied the various article on the net that chocolate is really very harmful for dogs.


----------



## julyyoyo

thank you for sharing this info:thumbsup:


----------



## fleameds02

Chocolates are really little dangerous but it depends on your dogs consumption.... But be carefully in these matter....

FleaMeds:
FleaMeds4Less.com : Best Prices on Flea Medication for Dogs and Cats


----------



## philkewley

I agree with all the comments regarding placing chocolates away from your dogs reach. But here's the thing a dog is a dog and he or she will sniff out what ever it is you've hidden!
I have a 3 year old boxer bitch, and she ate a whole 2kg, 85% dark chocolate easter egg, and truffles (in plastic bag inside) and all the wrappings on the outside! when she was less than 6 months old, and i thought that by putting it in a closed kitchen cupboard I'd be safe!
I spent all of that Easter Sunday evening mopping chocolate vomit & worse, and stayed up all night giving her water drop by drop to keep her hydrated. 

I called the vet immediately when I found out what had happened, and he called the poison unit then called me back and told me she'd had 3 x the lethal dose!! He told me to give her plenty of water, but avoid letting her gulp it down and he needed to see her in the morning. 

When i took her in the next day, it was as if nothing had happened! I was totally shattered with match sticks jammed in my eyes and she was leaping & bounding about the surgery like any boxer puppy should. To say he was astonished is an understatement, and to say I was relieved is an even bigger understatement.

We don't do Easter in our house anymore! because it's just not worth the risk. But don't panic if your dog does eat chocolate, it does depend on the dogs themselves as to how they react, but it isn't always fatal. tell the vet immediately how much and what kind of chocolate and they'll be in a better position to help you.
Phil


----------



## Burrowzig

gesic said:


> Another thing to watch out for are grapes, raisens sultanas and currents.
> its actually the seeds but large quantities can be fatal.


I noticed Arden Grange put grape seed extract in their performance food - not happy about that!


----------



## zozzen

PoisonGirl said:


> ''Oh this one little bit wont hurt''... but its not just one little bit.. its many ''one little bits'' a day, a week.. it all adds up! I yelled at someone outside tesco oneday- I came out to find them feeding my pup a whole bar of dairy milk- not the 'personal size' one with like 7 squares.. it was a medium sized one! Luckily they had only given her a couple of squares but I was mad at them- a)you do not feed someone elses dog outside a shop, b) chocolate is bad for dogs.. ''oh but she looked hungry'' some ppl are odd.
> x


yes, these behaviour is really annoying. When i take my girl to a restaurant, she is beloved by many people and, from time to time, fed with table scraps, which include fish bones, chicken bones and salty food. I always stop it immediately and educate them why it is no good feeding others' dog ANYTHING.

I think all these guys are innocent and uneducated on this. They just don't know the social manner with other raised dogs. I get used to this now.


----------



## Viki

my dog ate a box of chocolates left out my accident and was fine, i did call the vets and they told me to keep an eye on him, but he is a lab/retriever ad eats anything! il be more careful in the future but i cant ban chocolate from the house!!


----------



## lady_r0gue

I bought three boxes of milk chocolates for my friend's three boys for Christmas - Buttons, Dairy Milk blocks and something else - so that's between 750g and 1kg. I wrapped them up and their mum put them under her tree - and her big black 7 year old Lab unwrapped and ate the lot. I am glad to say that she told me this a week later, and the dog was fine... and still is 4 years later! So if you're reading this thread freaking out because you've just found out that your dog has eaten a pile of chocolates, you can afford to breathe a little easier, it won't definitely die. But bear in mind that Major is a large dog with superb metabolism, and these were milk chocolates, (dark is worse) - and do call your vet.


----------



## drake115

I was told that any amount of chocolate can be fatal depending on how your dog reacts to it. A safe bet is best stay clear completely. And if your dog does manage to consume any is to keep a close eye on it and seek vet help if required. I do understand that it is not always owners fault as a neighbour once posted a large bar of dairy milk through our door for our daughter not to realise our spaniel was going to eat the lot wrapper and all. I can home to a very sick dog with the runs to. Luckly he was ok but it just shows how easyily things happen.


----------



## Kinjilabs

My dogs have never had chocolate, what they dont have they dont miss, wouldnt give it to any animal, except me


----------



## ruselrones

Hi there.... i read your post.....it is great piece of information.....i used make my dog eat a lot of chocolates......once he had gone ill for 15 days.....might be the reason of eating lots of chocolates.....


----------



## millymol63

my brother in laws terrier ate a full box of brandy chocolate liqures when he was about 6 months old...and was inibriated....We took him to the vets who made him sick and kept him over night.

Then about 4 days later he had his first fit....the vet thought this was a neorological disorder brought about by the chocolate.

He died recently and we are all very sad .........but it wasn't due to the chocolate or the fits...he was 18 years old ( yes even we were shocked by thiswhen we worked out that he came when my niece was 4 and she has just passed her teaching degree this year)....but it just shows that although they may not die from chocolate consumption it may affect the rest of their lives...

I actually have a chocoholic dog now....so we have a good supply of doggy choc drops and all human chocolate ( not that we have much cos hubby and I are dieting is in the top cupboard...lol.....even a springer would have trouble breaking ino that one)


----------



## jamesmartyn

Hi..
Thanks for sharing the information...


----------



## dagny0823

If it eases anyone's mind at all, I've had a number of experiences personally (before all of the media attention about chocolate and dogs) and anecdotally with dogs consuming chocolate and never had any problems arise. My roommate had a wolf-hybrid (half wolf, half husky) who ate about a large quantity of fudge--stole it right off of the kitchen counter--and he laid around around for a bit, but was fine. Her mother had the same thing happen with their yellow lab. The dog stole everything if you turned your back for a second, including enough raw fish for 6 people. Again, no ill effects from the chocolate. I'm sure both had upset tummies, but wouldn't we all . 

My parents also used to give our dogs chocolate icecream when I was a kid. They were fine. Never had a problem. (I've also never had an issue with dogs or cats and lactose intolerance). Bottom line, I guess, is that some dogs have a food allergy or whathaveyou, but don't panic and think it's an automatic death sentence if your dog gets in the chocolate. I know people have a tendency to beat themselves up or feel they've been irresponsible and cruel. Your dog might be fine. Follow the proper steps but don't panic.


----------



## mollythecollie

dagny0823 said:


> If it eases anyone's mind at all, I've had a number of experiences personally (before all of the media attention about chocolate and dogs) and anecdotally with dogs consuming chocolate and never had any problems arise. My roommate had a wolf-hybrid (half wolf, half husky) who ate about a large quantity of fudge--stole it right off of the kitchen counter--and he laid around around for a bit, but was fine. Her mother had the same thing happen with their yellow lab. The dog stole everything if you turned your back for a second, including enough raw fish for 6 people. Again, no ill effects from the chocolate. I'm sure both had upset tummies, but wouldn't we all .
> 
> My parents also used to give our dogs chocolate icecream when I was a kid. They were fine. Never had a problem. (I've also never had an issue with dogs or cats and lactose intolerance). Bottom line, I guess, is that some dogs have a food allergy or whathaveyou, but don't panic and think it's an automatic death sentence if your dog gets in the chocolate. I know people have a tendency to beat themselves up or feel they've been irresponsible and cruel. Your dog might be fine. Follow the proper steps but don't panic.


If your dog eats a square of dairy milk dont panic- if he eats a large bar of dark chocolate then its time to panic- the risks are real so keep all chocolate out of reach of dogs


----------



## lexlibris1299

That's really interesting. Thank you for the information about chocos. I guess chocolate has a content that would make them dizzy as if they have drunk or something if you would give them a lot.


----------



## vegasbaby100

sorry to be really picky but white chocolate is not actually chocolate


----------



## *WillsTillsBills*

Thats really interesting, I've never given it to my dogs, but its very interesting thing to see. I waswatching 'Its me or the Dog' and watched a woman giving her dog a bag of malteasers a day


----------



## becksjane

My dog broke into my spare room just before xmas and i had all xmas prezzies on the bed. He ate 3 choc santas and 5 boxes maltesers. when i got in he was shaking and crying and vomited. Rang the vet soon as i saw the choc wrappers wen i got in who told me to rush in as an emergency. I really thought he was going to die. It was absolutely horriffic. Vets injected him to make him sick and thankfully he must have eaten it recently because the vet could tell which was choc santa and which was maltesers and they got loads up. He stayed in for a bit for monitoring. Then he came home with a sachet of hydration salts and loads of water.

anyway he was fine. But it was the worst moment ever, i'm obsessed with my dog! And i knew already they shouldnt eat choc. From then on we dont leave choc anywhere in the house in case he breaks in! From seeing him so poorly. I hope everyone else hides their choc too even in rooms you dont think your dog can get in!

By the way it didnt put him off trying to get back in there!


----------



## mitch4

Burrowzig said:


> I noticed Arden Grange put grape seed extract in their performance food - not happy about that!


its in all thier foods i think, i queried this and was told in grapes its the flesh that can be toxic but the seeds not and actually the oil from the seeds is really good for them 

we do use Arden Grange and our dogs have never been fitter

we also have the rule *NO *Chocolate not even the doggy ones as why bother there are some much tastier treats out there for them


----------



## StBernardMummy

*WillsTillsBills* said:


> Thats really interesting, I've never given it to my dogs, but its very interesting thing to see. I waswatching 'Its me or the Dog' and watched a woman giving her dog a bag of malteasers a day


WHAAAT!!! 

We live by the no chocolate rule too. I'm not all that keen on doggy chocs either. My dog as a child used to have them and once ate the entire (unopened) packet and was so ill for a few days. We keep chocolate etc in high cupboards anyway with having a small child. I wouldn't beat yourself up especially if you have kids and dogs do pick anything up that children drop including chocolates 

Thankyou for the information though. Very interesting


----------



## nightingale

becksjane said:


> My dog broke into my spare room just before xmas and i had all xmas prezzies on the bed. He ate 3 choc santas and 5 boxes maltesers. when i got in he was shaking and crying and vomited. Rang the vet soon as i saw the choc wrappers wen i got in who told me to rush in as an emergency. I really thought he was going to die. It was absolutely horriffic. Vets injected him to make him sick and thankfully he must have eaten it recently because the vet could tell which was choc santa and which was maltesers and they got loads up. He stayed in for a bit for monitoring. Then he came home with a sachet of hydration salts and loads of water.
> 
> anyway he was fine. But it was the worst moment ever, i'm obsessed with my dog! And i knew already they shouldnt eat choc. From then on we dont leave choc anywhere in the house in case he breaks in! From seeing him so poorly. I hope everyone else hides their choc too even in rooms you dont think your dog can get in!
> 
> By the way it didnt put him off trying to get back in there!


I just read this thread now and my story is so similar to yours! Jasper my 9 month Welsh springer got into the spare room ...actually he opened the door sat on the bed and ate 5 boxes of chocolate ...1 whole box of roses with the wrappers, malteasers, aero ( teh huge bar), skittles . I am a teacher and you know how kids give chocolate presents ! I came home took him walking ...he was fine then . when i served him his dinner he actually turned away and puked up brown goo and wrappers ...the vet asked me to bring him in . the time was 8:30 pm and it had started snowing ! 2 days later he was to get neutered ....which was cancelled as he was puking up wrappers. The neutering was fixed the week from that day and that morning he threw up 1 more wrapper so he was at the vets again for an xray and a barium meal to check if any more wrapppers were lodged in . thankfully he was declared clear !
he is now getting neutered next month and i hope he doesn't make his own decision this time. But in good spirit ...he loved teh snowdays and playing which he may have not done if he had been done .....
but NO MORE chocolate






s in the house ....


----------



## nightingale

lady_r0gue said:


> I bought three boxes of milk chocolates for my friend's three boys for Christmas - Buttons, Dairy Milk blocks and something else - so that's between 750g and 1kg. I wrapped them up and their mum put them under her tree - and her big black 7 year old Lab unwrapped and ate the lot. I am glad to say that she told me this a week later, and the dog was fine... and still is 4 years later! So if you're reading this thread freaking out because you've just found out that your dog has eaten a pile of chocolates, you can afford to breathe a little easier, it won't definitely die. But bear in mind that Major is a large dog with superb metabolism, and these were milk chocolates, (dark is worse) - and do call your vet.


read my earlier post ....My vet told me it is OK that it was milk chocolate but the worst ones are the dark chocolate -Blacks and Greens , and any chocolate that comes from the continent as they have a very high percentage of cocoa and it could be fatal. These milk ones he says are rubbish chocolates and the milk powder content is more than the content of chocolate. anyway it is good to be extra vigilant about keeping them in the house....they can sniff them out even if they have had just a piece.


----------



## prasko

They say that any kind of chocolate is bad for your dog. There are so many good things you can give your dog to eat. And remember dogs are not human, so our food is not good for them!!!


----------



## lewel

Is chocolate dangerous to dogs.

My dalmations just loves chocolates and can smell them a mile away. It is difficult not to feed them to her and we certainly do not since finding out how dangerous chocolates can be. 
Howstuffworks also offers info on "Is chocolate dangerous to dogs."
HowStuffWorks "Is chocolate poisonous to dogs?"


----------



## pet artist

My lab Flori ate 2 bars (!!!) of high cocoa content chocolate (80%) when she was heavily pregnant. She took them from my handbag... So she had 200g of chocolate! 
It was late in the evening; we called the vet and she told us to make her sick with salty water. It didn't work, because it was already in her guts. 
I spent a horrible night with a hyper Flori; she was panting, pacing around, wanting to go outside every hours... Her heart was racing.

But: she survived, and all of her pups did, too. 
Possibly the fact that there was hardly any sugar in the chocolate saved her? Maybe the sugar reinforces the effect of the cocoa? It was a miracle, anyway.


----------



## pprawncurry

I knew choclate was bad for dogs, but I have heard onions is also bad, is this true.


----------



## Guest

pprawncurry said:


> I knew choclate was bad for dogs, but I have heard onions is also bad, is this true.


Yes onions are bad also

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/p/poisonoussubstances/default.aspx


----------



## floppy

I recentl brought my border collie some dog chocolates from Home and he went crazy for them..they do truffles and sticks coated in chocolate made me smile to see him enjoyig himself without the worry of him getting ill.


----------



## serpentseye

my collie x ate four squares of dark once, i was scared to death the first 24 hours - bbut it was just below the death mark.... she's fine. but nver let in the sitting room again! cheek of her when she knicked it off the table and ran away with it! and my mum was there, inthe room too, cheek of that dog lol and she knew well she wasn't supposed to have it! and she had just been given a treat!


----------



## cupid2787

White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.


----------



## Pippa Lou (Trainee ANA)

I know of a case at my training practice (TP) where a dog ate 5 consecutive easter eggs. Unfortunately, the poor animal OD'd on the glucose in the eggs and crashed. 

Fortunately, I hate the taste of chocolate so my pooch doesnt get any 

x


----------



## Clare7435

My dogs don't like the stuff thank god, because when Emily was little she was always offering hers out to Fizz but thankfully Fizz just sniffed it and turned up her nose, I can see how sometimes dogs get hold of chocolate by accident/....i e the christmas chocks or kids sweets etc....but other than that I don't see personally why some people give it to dogs willingly, if it's bad for them just don't feed it even in small amounts that will build up in their systems surely??...


----------



## Sandysmum

I don't give my dog anything with chocolate in it. The way I see it, what he's never had - he won't miss. There are many safe treats, it really isn't worth taking any chances.


----------



## tenryhamilton

Milk chocolate can be toxic if your dog eats 1 oz to 1 pound of body weight. semi-sweet chocolate can be toxic if your dog is 1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight. Bakers chocolate can be toxic if your dog eats 1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight. On the basis that 3 ounces of Bakers chocolate can be harmful to a dog 25 pounds


----------



## nikkijoy

My previous dog lived to 13 and died of a heart attack. Before I knew chocs were bad for dogs, she get her own pack of M&M's every weekend


----------



## geomak

Excellent topic and article, Great information about chocolate. I didn't know that very harmful chocolate for dog's health. Thanks for sharing this nice information. Great work.


----------



## ebonymagic

My Mums flat coat pigged out on various chocolate the other day, by rights the amount she ate means she should be dead. The reason she got it was because mum is moving and had packed some food in a box and had left the box out. The dog has a brilliant nose, it was buried under other stuff. she's the only dog I know that will rip open a sainsbury's bag just to make sure there is no food in it. She won't do it to any other bag.

My Mum shoveled salt down her neck and also gave her mashed potato (guaranteed to throw up on that usually) it didn't work. She spent the next 2 days bouncing around like she had had too much caffeine.

She is 13 years old and usually a bit doddery so watching her running and bouncing like a puppy was a bit weird. She ended up walking on lead.

She is now back to her usual self with no ill effects that we can see.

I would still never give my dog anything other than a small amount, mainly, now, because he's wired enough without the extra theobromine in his system.


----------



## SlingDash

I take it that the purpose of this thread is to advise people who find their dogs have accidentally eaten some 'human' chocolate?

If the intention is to tell people how much they can safely feed their dogs, then that is at best reckless and irresponsible, and at worst potentially fatal.

Dogs don't need chocolate, and if people wish to feed it as a treat, there are plenty of 'doggy chocs' available for the purpose.


----------



## MarKalAm

SlingDash said:


> If the intention is to tell people how much they can safely feed their dogs, then that is at best reckless and irresponsible, and at worst potentially fatal.


What made you think that _might_ be the purpose of this thread? 

OP said....


flissyfjm said:


> ...this site helps you understand the different levels of risk of different types of chocolate, related to the weight of the dog, and thus whether you need to seek immediate veterinary help if your pooch gets hold of some.


----------



## wazeezy1

flissyfjm said:


> I don't know if this has been posted before - I got a link to an extremely useful website with a table showing just how much (or how little) chocolate or cocoa it takes to make dogs of different weights seriously ill. Most people know now that chocolate is dangerous for dogs - this site helps you understand the different levels of risk of different types of chocolate, related to the weight of the dog, and thus whether you need to seek immediate veterinary help if your pooch gets hold of some. I was shocked at the tiny amount of cocoa that could kill my little papillon.
> 
> Here is the address: The Chocolate Chart Interactive - National Geographic Magazine
> 
> (Thanks to Rosana Hart for details of the site)


Thank you for the veru useful info. Thats a really handy reference. Since my Aunts Yorkie got ill from eating Chocolate - we never feed our Pooch any now. But its useful to see the limits of (potentially) acceptable consumption. Thanks again


----------



## Plabebob

wazeezy1 said:


> Thank you for the veru useful info. Thats a really handy reference. Since my Aunts Yorkie got ill from eating Chocolate - we never feed our Pooch any now. But its useful to see the limits of (potentially) acceptable consumption. Thanks again


Despite the chart, I don't think there is any limit of acceptable consumption - no dog should ever be given chocolate. I think the list is just a reference to know how serious it is depending on the size of your dog, but all dogs are different & a tiny amount can still cause serious damage.


----------



## ebonymagic

SlingDash said:


> I take it that the purpose of this thread is to advise people who find their dogs have accidentally eaten some 'human' chocolate?
> 
> If the intention is to tell people how much they can safely feed their dogs, then that is at best reckless and irresponsible, and at worst potentially fatal.
> 
> Dogs don't need chocolate, and if people wish to feed it as a treat, there are plenty of 'doggy chocs' available for the purpose.


The purpose of this thread is information and a warning. When I looked at the information I wasn't going to work out how much choklit I can give my dog, I was looking at it saying *my god it doesn't take a lot to kill a dog* Nobody in their right mind would work out how much is safe, would they?

I give my dog an occasional bit of choc and its usually on or in something, he won't eat dog chocs. If I give my dog treats its usually a savory thing or a standard human biscuit. I might even stretch to the corner of a custard cream if he's lucky. I don't do choklit that much so the chances of harm coming to my dog are very slim


----------



## yumscrumfatbum

I had a complete meltdown over on Dog Chat last week over this.

My 4 month old pup ate a whole Terrys chocolate orange 

Luckily he is fine now but at the time the symptoms went as far as tremors and struggling to breathe. I was a nervous wreck for 24 hours.

Chocolate is BANNED when the dog is about!


----------



## spot

I was also under the impression that any amount of Chocolate was fatal to dogs and puppies - I know of a friend's dog who ate some chocolate and pooped for a week - he was lucky as it could have been allot worst.


----------



## zack2011

I wouldn't give dog any amount of chocolate


----------



## Surge

Anything in the slightest bit bad for my dogs will get none what so ever, simple.


----------



## jameserickson80

My family is fond of chocolates. I let dog lick chocolate over my bare hands but when I found out that it is not good for my dog, I never give him any.


----------



## Malable

I think the effect varies from dog to dog. 

My previous pup had a little poor quality choc flavoured breakfast cereal I'd been trying to throw away. Chocolate seems to be a nervous system stimulant with a half life of about 17 hours. He threw up a few times, then was a very happy nutter for the next day and a half.

My current dog (8.5 Kg) ate about 2 oz of Green & Blacks (semisweet) when we were out camping. I had a very anxious night - hardly slept, but she did not seem to have so much as a raised heart rate! Luckily she's not a greedy dog, so it's not hard to keep her away from the stuff.


----------



## FEJA JUODAS

interesting chart that...notice if understood correctly...htat MILK choc is many times less dangerous than dark...my pup adores milk choc and i stopped giving it her once i read it was very dangerous.


----------



## koki

Some dogs will accidentally eat chocolates, and usually they fare well. It is better to avoid than to suffer but it can happen. Mu beagle ate a whole box of chocolates once and he survived without even a diarrhea.
Chocolate is not meant for dogs so avoid it feeding them ANY sweets. It can also cause tooth dacay which is another concern.
Better stick to meat, vegetables, fruits...blach,blah, blah,even if your furry children demand sweets...


----------



## Terr

You guys might be interested to know that a 30kg labrador pup delving into an entire box of red lindt/lindor (don't know what they're called) truffles was absolutely fine. Only symptom was the distinctive smell of chocolate drifting around him for the next week.

Of course please learn from my mistake and keep all cocoa based products on the top shelf. :lol:


----------



## maratharibe

Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine (which is chemically related to caffeine). Caffeine is toxic to both dogs and cats; however, there is not much caffeine in chocolate, so the greater threat is the theobromine. Theobromine is a diuretic and a stimulant. It causes the heart to beat faster. Dogs and cats metabolize theobromine slowly; meaning it will remain in their systems for a long time. Slow absorption allows it to build up in the pets blood stream to toxic levels affecting the heart, kidneys, and central nervous system.


----------



## CindyMWyman

Nah  I dont know what to do but my dog fav food is chocolate....And i love buying him a chocolate and eat with him. Because we both love chocolate


----------



## dogloverdi

Hi! Thanks for sharing! The chart looks very interesting! As far as I know, chocolate is harmful for dogs: 5 Top Dog Allergies


----------



## homerdogy

flissyfjm said:


> I don't know if this has been posted before - I got a link to an extremely useful website with a table showing just how much (or how little) chocolate or cocoa it takes to make dogs of different weights seriously ill. Most people know now that chocolate is dangerous for dogs - this site helps you understand the different levels of risk of different types of chocolate, related to the weight of the dog, and thus whether you need to seek immediate veterinary help if your pooch gets hold of some. I was shocked at the tiny amount of cocoa that could kill my little papillon.
> 
> Here is the address: The Chocolate Chart Interactive - National Geographic Magazine
> 
> (Thanks to Rosana Hart for details of the site)


 Me too! Homer is hyper enough!And it is a no no I heard long time ago!I want Homer around for long time


----------



## petsrkool

I had heard that chocolate is *extremely* dangerous for dogs, it's probably best not to give any amount to any canine!!!:nono:


----------



## toby2712

Just wanted to add that when Toby, my Alsation-Collie cross was 5yrs he devoured 4 Easter Eggs wrapper and all (without my permission of course !):mad5:.

The next day his behaviour was very weird, wandering off mid ball-chase, eyes glazed, would not come when called, didn't recognise my voice (or ignoring my call) and caused me enough concern to call the Vets - who then told me that she had seen a Boxer dog die from eating a Milky Way.

He did recover after a couple of days, but ever since I have always locked all chocolate on top shelf cupboards !


----------



## northnsouth

I am amazed this had been made a "sticky" .
I hope any one looking for advice on this subject reads *all* the posts and does not go by "that chart" !


----------



## neonpatrick

I was told that any amount of chocolate can be fatal depending on how your dog reacts to it.Some dogs will accidentally eat chocolates, and usually they fare well. It is better to avoid than to suffer but it can happen. Chocolate contain theobromine.Theobromine is a diuretic and a stimulant. It causes the heart to beat faster.


----------



## spot

I don't think I would ever risk feeding any of my dogs chocolate...although my Lurcher did eat a whole box of roses chocolates - but the mess on the floor was something to behold!!! YUCK!!


----------



## leashedForLife

spot said:


> I don't think I would ever risk feeding any of my dogs chocolate...


*agricultural effluent. 
SPAM signature-link, 'spot' - Go Home!, bad spot! :cursing:*

Dog Obedience Training Online, How To Train A Dog, Puppy Obedience Training

or Dog Obedience Training Online, How To Train A Dog, Puppy Obedience Training

NOTICE the picture: the formerly-Sit-Stay-Fetch, now-Known-As _Kingdom Of Pets_ :thumbdown:


----------



## [email protected]'s_Bakery

zoesmom said:


> My 10 pound Chihuahua ate 25 to 30 Hershey's chocolate kisses. Called the vet about 20 minutes after I found she had gotten them, was told to give her some peroxide to make her vomit and then bring her in for them to see. We took her in to the vet and she was given some meds for her tummy and checked out by the vet. He said my quick response and the vomiting saved her. Never will I have chocolate candy in my home again!! Due to forgetfulness on my part, I did not realize I had left the candy on the table where she could climb up and get it.
> I hope no one has to go through what we did and poor little Zoe had to suffer for my mistake.


I am so happy for you that everything turned out fine and your dog is well! I hope this will be a lesson for everyone who thinks feeding dogs a little bit of chocolate is ok. It should be avoided completely - plus they don't need it!


----------



## Nekkyousha

I think it's different for each dog, mine has come into contact with chocolate twice. Once when I literally went to open the front door she consumed an entire box of thorntons chocolates! I was so distressed I couldn't stop crying, I thought she was going to die! She must have eaten about 30 chocolates. I phoned the vets but they said to just keep an eye on her. She was completely fine, no vomiting, no runs, but very hyper lol. The second time was Christmas, in the middle of the night whilst we waited for Santa she sniffed out the wrapped up chocolates and ate every one!! Once again she was fine. This was awhile ago now and we have learnt our lesson!! But she isn't a huge dog, weighs about 38kgs. So I think it must be down to individuals, cuz according to other sites the amount if dark chocaye she ate would have been enough to kill her twice.


----------



## madcow

My staff help herself to a tray and a half of Dairy Milk around mothers day 
I rang vets apparently dark chocolate is more harmfull than milk. Plus because they percentage of filling to choclate was greater they said it was ok but she could be quite sick. This was an under statement. She was very very sick and so so sorry for herself all day. :blush:


----------



## JustmeGemmy

We've had to tell our neighbour off before because she will happily give Sox chocolate buttons. I am of the opinion that dogs shouldn't be given ANY chocolate & she just kept saying that her Mum feeds her dog chocolate & he's fine.. Which is great for her Mum's dog, but I don't want MY dog to get sick & I can't afford to pay Vet bills because of an irresponsible owner! FFS.

Luckily she's not done it in a while, but we just keep him away from the fence now just in case.


----------



## mistysmom

Good idea. I can't understand why some people don't listen when we ask them not to feed our dogs. They always think we don't know what we're talking about or something....
Anyway my Misty was terribly ill one morning (years ago now). She didn't even make it out of the bedroom and she pooped everywhere, with mucus and blood in it. I was scared, had no idea what was wrong. I rushed her to the vet, and the vet asked if she'd eaten anything unusual. I had fed her only healthy food, but we were staying at my mother's, so I called her to ask if she'd fed her anything else.
She said that a whole bon-bon dish full of Cadbury buttons she had on a coffee table had mysteriously disappeared. She said nothing because she thought I'd eaten them!
And I'd been so busy the night before I hadn't even noticed they were there.

The vet didn't make her vomit because it was too late. He gave her a medicine to settle her tummy, told me to fast her, and keep an eye on her. Well Misty was fasted 24 hours with just water. Then she was fed only plain boiled rice, then chicken with rice, and she was just fine.
But she really was pretty miserable and ill all day, and that was scary. Never NEVER again!


----------



## Muggins

I do think some dogs react more to chocolate than others. I never give chocolate, even in the days before we realised it was toxic. But I did have one dog who regularly got hold of chocolates. He was like Houdini in his efforts to get them - and they would always be dark chocolates, not milk. He learned to think that every box that was wrapped as a present contained chocolates, and if they did he ate them. If they didn't, he still crunched - on a hand-painted glass trinket-box. hmy: He generally brought them up again on the floor, but never suffered otherwise. He lived to the age of 14 when I had him put down due to prostate problems.

But I know of another dog of the same breed who got hold of one lot of milk-chocolate covered chocs and she had to go to the emergency vets and was quite ill.


----------



## kevin123

Ohh, i am really shocked to read this , chocolates dangerous for dogs, if is that true thank god i read this post, now i cannot give chocolates to my dog, i read dog and think its true chocolates is dangerous for dogs, thanks for sharing this good post, Thanks A Lot.


----------



## soulboy66

Our Westie ate over half a large bar of fruit and nut but luckily our 18 yr old daughter found her and took her straight away to the vet.The dog vomited most of the undigested chocolate back up and the Vet said that the raisens in it are not good for her kidneys also. We then gave her some charcoal mixed into a yoghurt to help soak up any toxin.


----------



## staffygurl

I agree I too follow the strictly no chocolate shall pass puppy's lips!

I do have a quick question though (sorry to hog your post!?) as our dog tends to play with the nieghbourhood kids (she's amazing with them!) one of the younger dropped a small piece of white chocolate of the ground. Is it the same rule for white chocolate as it doesn't contain cocoa?


----------



## leashedForLife

staffygurl said:


> ...our dog... plays with neighbourhood kids (she's amazing with them!) -
> one of the younger [kids] dropped a small piece of white chocolate [on] the ground.
> Is it the same rule for white chocolate, as it [contains no] cocoa?


no - 'white chocolate' is pure cr*p, it's solid fats which don't melt at room-temp, with vanilla FLAVORING, usually, 
not honest vanilla *extract*, plus some texturizing & emulsifying ingredients. It's trash-calories, & best avoided 
by man or beast - horrible stuff. IMO, if a kid or adult is allergic to cocoa, find something healthy to stand-in.

'white chocolate' is a culinary crime, IMO. :nonod: The saturated fat is a really bad calorie-source, too.


----------



## staffygurl

leashedForLife said:


> no - 'white chocolate' is pure cr*p, it's solid fats which don't melt at room-temp, with vanilla FLAVORING, usually,
> not honest vanilla *extract*, plus some texturizing & emulsifying ingredients. It's trash-calories, & best avoided
> by man or beast - horrible stuff. IMO, if a kid or adult is allergic to cocoa, find something healthy to stand-in.
> 
> 'white chocolate' is a culinary crime, IMO. :nonod: The saturated fat is a really bad calorie-source, too.


Thanks, like i said i would never ever feed my dog chocolate but with the little one dropping it on the floor it was in her mouth before I could blink! Will be keeping an extra eagle eye out now lol


----------



## staffygurl

and in your quote did you really correct my grammer and wording or did it do that for you? Because if you did do it I have dyslexia and struggle majorly with wording and spelling so I found that a little disrespectful and slightly offending to be honest...sorry!


----------



## Sangheili

Very informative article.
Thanks for posting! I was completely unaware of just how dangerous it is!


----------



## Lottieb01

Why on earth would you want to feed your dog with ANY amount of food that poses a threat to health, If you want to give your friend a treat then splah out a bit more and buy doggie chocolates


----------



## leashedForLife

Lottieb01 said:


> If you want to give your friend a treat then [splash] out a bit more
> & buy *doggie chocolates*.


i don't recommend giving any dog ANYthing that remotely resembles chocolate - 
not "DOGGIE" or any other form. There are plenty of things that dogs love which we can choose as treats - 
depending on the dog, anything from carrot-bits to cheese-tidbits to freeze-dried lamb-lung or liver-cake.

there are also things dogs love that we Don'T Love - horseapples, cat-stools, & dead birds full of maggots, 
among others. I don't give those as treats, either. 

Nothing that smells like chocs, or contains chocolate in any amount, 
even a trace of it, would be something i'd offer a dog.


----------



## Happy Paws2

staffygurl said:


> and in your quote did you really correct my grammer and wording or did it do that for you? Because if you did do it I have dyslexia and struggle majorly with wording and spelling so I found that a little disrespectful and slightly offending to be honest...sorry!


I do know how you feel I'm the same, I spend more time checking spelling in the dictionary than writing a post and rereading it hoping it's right.

I try very hard it get it right but it can be very disheartening at times, some people can be very cruel. :sad:


----------



## Clare7435

There is enough theobromine in about 2 squares of the average bar of chocolate to do serious damage to a dog...7 grams of the stuff can leave a dog with a seriously bad stomach, tremors, blue gums, blood in the urine, fits and eventually possible death....THAT said...why on earth do they even make doggy chocolate? No maybe it doesn't contain the toxin that human chocolate does but if I'm going to feed a dog doggy chocolate are they not going to be attracted to normal chocolate?they don't know the difference surely... I would rather take no risks with it at all. Or...I suppose I could just stay a stingy cow with the treats  my lot think all their Christmases have come at once when they get treats lol


----------



## Goldendoodle123

There was a section on the TV programme, 'It's Me or the Dog' about feeding chocolate to dogs. The dog trainer, Victoria Stillwell said it is _always_ dangerous to give chocolate, or any chocolate-related products to a dog as it can send them into toxic shock and kill them. At best the effect of a reaction to chocolate is a nasty case of 'the runs' or vomiting. Hope this helps


----------



## AskieAmerEskimo

Thank you for the information. It's best to keep the chocolates away from our dogs. We must keep it in a safe place like our bellies.


----------



## Clare7435

AskieAmerEskimo said:


> Thank you for the information. It's best to keep the chocolates away from our dogs. We must keep it in a safe place like our bellies.


Absolutely ...it's the age old saying...when in doubt leave it out...I tend to stick to the rule books with my 3 and even then they don't get certain things even if it's meant for a dog, certain treats say they are good for dogs and I wouldn't touch them with a plank ...unless I know and approve of what's in them they don't get them. One good thing to try is a recipe someone posted on here a while back for home made dog biscuits. I love these biccis because you can make them tiny and they last well so they're great for the occasional treat....they're made from 2 tins of sardines, 8oz flour....(gluten free works as I use it for fizz), 1oz sunflower spread, sprinkle of garlic powder and 2 beaten eggs ...I can't remember who posted it off hand but she's genius...my dogs really like them and so does the cat:thumbup:


----------



## Lottieb01

leashedForLife said:


> i don't recommend giving any dog ANYthing that remotely resembles chocolate -
> not "DOGGIE" or any other form. There are plenty of things that dogs love which we can choose as treats -
> depending on the dog, anything from carrot-bits to cheese-tidbits to freeze-dried lamb-lung or liver-cake.
> 
> there are also things dogs love that we Don'T Love - horseapples, cat-stools, & dead birds full of maggots,
> among others. I don't give those as treats, either.
> 
> Nothing that smells like chocs, or contains chocolate in any amount,
> even a trace of it, would be something i'd offer a dog.


Thats a good opinion however if you leave food somewhere your furry friend can reach it then will he/she not eat it anyway? Just because they may not have been given something that resembles chocolate it does not mean they will leave chocolate when put within reach of them so really I dont think doggie chocolate is a bad treat.


----------



## leashedForLife

Lottieb01 said:


> Thats a good opinion [but] if you leave food ...where your furry friend can reach it, then will s/he not eat it, anyway?


so... How does that rationalize GIVING THE DOG something that is not healthy for them?... 
:blink: 


Lottieb01 said:


> Just because [a dog has] not ...been given something that resembles chocolate, ...doesn't mean they'll [avoid] chocolate
> when [it's] within reach... so really I don't think doggie-chocolate is a bad treat.


if children are not allowed to smoke, but live with smokers, they are more-likely to smoke as adults.

THAT DOES NOT mean that we should tuck milk-chocolate 'cigarettes' in their Xmas stockings.

*chocolate contains sugar which dogs dearly love;  of course, they'll eat it. 
KEEP chocolate in the frig, in a high closed-cupboard, in a solid chest, or otherwise inaccessible.

soaps that are scented with food [vanilla, apples, other fruits, goats-milk, etc] should also be out 
of any possible reach of a dog; my friend Michelle's Labrador nearly killed himself, by eating 3 bath-sized 
bars of pear & goat-milk soap; he was hospitalized for 3 days & very-sick for another 2 at home. 
it was not his first, nor his last, adventure eating inedible things that "smelled like" food. 
but it was his worst & most-expensive.*


----------



## Clare7435

I have to say my 2 won't go anywhere near chocolate whether it's dog stuff or human stuff...someone once told me that they don't tend to eat anything they know isn't good but obviously this can't be the case as I've heard lots about dogs eating things the shouldn't...my 2 are very picky though they're not very keen on treats...perhaps it's because I'm a scrooge Tex's real owner is permanently feeding him crap though I get sick of telling him sometimes because it's like i'm wasting my time feeding him the good stuff when he takes him and feeds him bloody pizza :mad2:


----------



## FickleFeet

Happy Paws said:


> I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


same here


----------



## Iyanwell

Thanks for sharing this helpful information about this .
This is typical awareness about the dogs health.


----------



## Camren

That's really interesting. 
Hopefully all the new dog owners will see this.
So thanks for sharing......


----------



## AskieAmerEskimo

How about white chocolates? Will it still be dangerous for dogs to eat?


----------



## BlueBeagle

AskieAmerEskimo said:


> How about white chocolates? Will it still be dangerous for dogs to eat?


White chocolate is made from cocoa butter but does not contain cocoa solids and therefore there are only traces of theobromine in it. I guess *theoretically* it is not dangerous due to the very low dose of theobromine but there is still an incredible amount of sugar in it.

So no I wouldn't feed it to my dogs but if they get hold of it it will not be such a cause for concern as chocolate that contains cocoa solids.


----------



## AskieAmerEskimo

You're right, BlueBeagle. Well, better not to give them either white/dark/milk chocolate than sorry.


----------



## leashedForLife

AskieAmerEskimo said:


> How about white chocolates?
> Will it still be dangerous for dogs to eat?


if U'd read the thread, or had used the SEARCH THREAD tool, U'd have answered Ur own Q. 



leashedForLife said:


> no - 'white chocolate' is pure cr*p, it's solid fats which don't melt at room-temp, with vanilla FLAVORING, usually,
> not honest vanilla *extract*, plus texturizing & emulsifying ingredients. It's trash-calories, & best avoided
> by man or beast - horrible stuff. IMO, if a kid or adult is allergic to cocoa, find something healthy to stand-in.
> 
> 'white chocolate' is a culinary crime, IMO. :nonod: The saturated fat is a really bad calorie-source, too.


for those who are genuinely allergic to chocolate / cacao products, there's always *carob *-

carob, a chocolate substitute, st. john's bread

cheers, 
- t


----------



## kane61

Aah what a nightmare. I have a cat and a dog - cat never goes near chocolate. But my jack russell was fed a tiny piece which my 2 year old nephew gave her. It was the first time she'd ever had chocolate and I managed to stop him sharing any more of his easter egg with her. Unfortunately later that day she managed to find a stash and ate half an egg - I was beside myself. Luckily it was one with a low cocoa content and she was fine. Now though I have to be vigilant about chocolate as she goes crazy for it. My vet says that once they've had the taste for it, they really become addicted......


----------



## leashedForLife

sandystevees said:


> Yes *chocolate is very dangerous for dogs*.
> 
> It is *terribal for dogs to eat that!* *
> 
> It might not cause an illness* from that but *im sure if you give it to him
> or he eats that amount or more again* *he could* and *maybe will get sick.*
> 
> You can never tell - *when that illness starts, it could show at anytime.*


so... Which is it, Sandy? :crazy: The dog WILL or Will NOT get sick from eating chocolate? :001_tt2:

don't bother answering - this post is illogical drivel, & i'm sure any explanation will only be 
more of the same --

for those who genuinely worry or wonder, YES, chocolate is dangerous, 
NO, we should not give it to dogs ever; it should be kept safely away from any dog's reach, 
& the *DARKER it is*, the more *dangerous* it is - plus, the danger is greatest to small dogs: 
a toy-dog who eats baker's chocolate can easily die, as dosage of any poison is always related to mass.


----------



## leashedForLife

fogy said:


> I own a pet bakery and as a chocolate alternative i use carob powder for my Doggy Truffles.
> It tastes good in small amounts as it's quite bitter.


yes - carob isn't related to cacao, & is a safe alternative. However, as noted, it's also bitter & needs 
even-more sugar than chocolate - & sugar isn't good for dogs, either. 


fogy said:


> Otherwise you can buy special *doggy drops* from the pet store.


i don't give a hoot if it's labeled "FOR DOGS" - read the ingredients! 
if it contains any trace of chocolate, i would not give it to a dog - not because that item is a danger, 
but because we're 'teaching' the dog via *scent* that this is a treat - & dogs love sweet things.

One taste of a low-ratio chocolate item can create a dog who will counter-surf or steal from purses, 
cupboards, drawers, shelves, etc, & sooner or later, s/he will overdose. Don't create a monster, IMO - 
i'd avoid giving dogs even one taste of chocolate of any kind, "safe" low-dose milk chocolate or not.


----------



## fogy

We make small carob truffles for dogs which is a healthy chocolate alternative  Check out Pet Bakery, Dog Treats, Grooming Supplies, Dog Bakery, Pet Supplies | Bertz.co.uk


----------



## leashedForLife

fogy said:


> We make small carob truffles for dogs, which is a *healthy* ... alternative


how much sugar is in the carob-truffles? What makes them "healthy" - 
in particular, what makes them health*ier* than no carob & no sugar?

carob is even-more bitter than cacao / chocolate, so it requires more sugar to mask the bitterness. 
Dogs, just like humans, can develop diabetes, or simply pork-out & get fat on sugary treats. :skep:


----------



## SaBel

I guess it depends on the dog on how much chocolate it could actually before she reacts to it. I wonder if it is pure chocolate that would be dangerous for them.., how about food with chocolate flavor which are not as sweet as real Chocolate candy bars, only flavored as chocolate, are those ok?


----------



## leashedForLife

SaBel said:


> I guess it depends on the dog...


did U read any of the articles on chocolate-toxemia in dogs? 
obviously not - as it's mostly HOW DARK the choc, & HOW BIG the dog.


SaBel said:


> I wonder if it is pure chocolate that would be dangerous for them...


read the articles - or if U don't like the selection on hand, 
read any of the VETERINARY info on chocolate & dogs. 


SaBel said:


> ...how about [foods] with chocolate [flavoring], *not as sweet* as... candy bars... are those OK?


* the SUGAR is not the problem - the CHOCOLATE is. :mad2:


----------



## edrei

Chocolate is one of the foods that is toxic to dogs, so to be safe, just don't let them eat this..


----------



## russelgrane

Chocolates makes dogs addictive about it, If a dog of 50 pounds eats a little pieces of chocolates it will not affect it quickly but if it do eat pieces of double milk chocolate cake it will cause vomiting and diarehia.


----------



## whitelight

Chocolate is dangerous for dogs! I'm not really sure why, but all vets say that. I would also add dog food (Animal Feed) to the list of dangerous products. What do you think?


----------



## leashedForLife

whitelight said:


> Chocolate is dangerous for dogs! *I'm not really sure why*, but all vets say that.


:thumbdown: READ THE THREAD & the articles that are posted as LINKS.



whitelight said:


> I would also add dog food (Animal Feed)
> to the list of dangerous products. What do you think?


:thumbdown: i think U are off-topic - Start a new thread, 
if U want to discuss DOG FOOD or best foods for dogs.


----------



## russelgrane

It generally depends on the size of the dog, generally 7 gm of backing chocolate or 60 gm of milk with chocolate per kilo weight is good for dog, more then that can cause weakness to the dog.


----------



## Selina69

As a new member that was interesting reading, one xmas we left the living room door slightly ajar and Amber our Lab/spanial got in and ate all the chocolate decorations off the tree even the very top ones, after that we made sure the door was always shut but thankfully she had no adverse side effects.


----------



## leashedForLife

russelgrane said:


> [the risk of ingesting chocolate] *generally depends on the size of the dog*,
> 
> ...*7 gm of **bakin**g chocolate* or *60 gm of milk*[*chocolate*] *per kilo*
> [*of the dog's*] *weight is good for* [*a*] *dog*, more than that can cause weakness...


Are U a vet? :skep:
NO AMOUNT OF CHOCOLATE IS *"GOOD FOR A DOG". :nono:

Theobromine causes cardiac arrhythmias in dogs -* their hearts beat erratically, 
beat too fast to pump sufficient blood to oxygenate the brain & vital organs, & the heart can fail.
The heart is under severe stress, not well-oxygenated, & quits pumping in a co-ordinated fashion, 
often just spasmodically & rapidly convulsing, instead of beating.

DOSAGE is per pound of dog, & is affected by the dog's own sensitivity as well as the DENSITY 
of the chocolate: Darker chocolates [baking, bittersweet, etc] are more potent; milk chocs 
& pale / light chocolates are less-potent, BUT CAN STILL BE FATAL to small dogs or highly-sensitive 
individuals.


----------



## Darrenn

well thanks for posting this thread , it can really give good information about what amount can affect adversely in dogs and can help many new dog owners .


----------



## DPC Veterinarians Florida

Any amount is bad for the dog because it contains theobromine which affects the dogs central nervous system and heart muscles.

There is no certain amount of chocolate that will kill a dog- it depends on the individual dog- an older or unfit dog will react worse to a small amount of chocolate than a young and healthy dog. Since your dog is only 12 pounds then it would take about half a pound of regular milk chocolate for your dog to die; however, it depends if your dog is otherwise healthy. An easier way to understand this is it would take 2 to 3 milk chocolate bars to kill a 10 pound dog so your dog should be fine; however, it's always best to contact a vet to make sure. If it was baking chocolate then it would take much less to kill the dog since it contains more theobromine.

Call your vet just to make sure.
If your dog begins breathing heavily, having seizures, or vomiting then it's time for the emergency vet.


----------



## tanglewood3

Our neighbour's dog used to come through the fence and play with ours, but ours very rarely went through to her garden......
One day, just after we had a carpet fitted one of my dogs came in and was very sick. As I was cleaning it up I thought, 'I know that smell!'
I hadn't lost any chocolate (Believe me, i'd know! lol), so I asked my neighbour if they had. She said, 'Funny you should say that, I'd just opened a big box of belgian chocolates and they've all gone. We spent all evening arguing over who'd eaten them. What annoyed me most, is that they'd left the empty box lying on the floor.'
If she hadn't been sick and become unwell, I wouldn't have suspected the problem because she rarely went next door.


----------



## christianrene

I think any amount of chocolate is fatal for dogs, so it's best if your dog completely steers clear of all chocolates. Chocolates affect the central nervous system of dogs, therefore making it fatal for them to eat it.


----------



## alanalauren

Thanks for providing such a nice details. I feel stunned after knowing that eating so much chocolate can adversely affect the health of the dogs. I too have two lovely pets with me with whom I love the most. I will definitely going to implement this important information while up-bringing my pets. Apart from it, can anyone able to provide some extra health care for my lovely dogs?


----------



## jenny armour

must admit i havent read through the threads on here, so it may have already been mentioned, but doesnt pet shops do pet chocolate buttons anymore. years ago when i had my first rough collie you could buy dog chocolate buttons?


----------



## clooney

According to veterinary experts, is that eating a speck of chocolate leads a dog to crave more. It can mean that your dog will jump at a opportunity to get any type of chocolate, not knowing that certain chocolates are more lethal than other types. Larger amounts of chocolate, particularly of the most toxic type, can bring about epileptic seizures in some dogs, and in all dogs, can kill.


----------



## mrsdolittle

At the pet shop you are able to buy choc drops for dogs, they're specially made for dogs, they don't harm the dog and are useful for training! Failing the treats of the choc drops, the chew bones which clean the teeth and gums is second choice.


----------



## leashedForLife

mrsdolittle said:


> At the pet shop you [can] buy choc-drops for dogs, they're specially made for dogs,
> they don't harm the dog and are useful for training!


reiterating the sense of my previous post, for those who missed it:

even if the "made-for-dogs" Choc-drops are supposedly perfectly safe, themselves, they SET THE DOG UP
to get into trouble, by associating praise / sweets / rewarding activities with the *scent of chocolate*, however 
milky or dilute; "more intense" chocolate-odors will only seem even better to the dog exposed to the 'safe',
low-concentration DOG-candy choc-drops.

So... i'd avoid giving any dog, any form of chocolate whatever, for fear that at some future time, 
s/he might snatch some from the cupboard, a purse, shopping-bag, off the counter as i bake, etc, 
& become seriously ill or worse, as a result. IMO 'safety first' is more than a cliche'; our dogs, like our kids,
depend on us to keep them safe, even from their own innocent impulses.


----------



## slingshot538

no idea sory..
but i m agreee:bored:


----------



## FEJA JUODAS

How much chocolate is dangerouos...title of this thread needs editing to respell word DANGEROUS ! 

i know of a dog that died recently of eating bars of chocolate left on table when owners were out for the evening...ok he ate apparently 5 bars of it and being FRANCE most likely was DARK chocolate which is worse than milky chocolate higher poison.

kids must be the ones thinking to share chocolate most with their dogs ...i never knew it was poison when i was younger ! only at age fifty plus !!


----------



## DanielRory

Well, this is really an informative post and the national geographic link was also a good one to give more awareness and thanks for sharing it.


----------



## zziko911

meisha said:


> hi i beleive that a lethal dose is 7gm of baking choc or 60 gm of milk choc per kilo of dog weight
> 
> hopefully none of us will have to experience this!
> 
> x


------------
Absolutely agree


----------



## ispetfashion

Happy Paws said:


> I go by the rule *NO* Chocolate for dogs, it's not worth the risk.


Chocolate is very poisonous to dogs and even a small amount could kill a dog.


----------



## RichardJordan

Chocolate in large quantities is not good for dogs. 
Plain chocolate is much worse than milk chocolate . 
The smaller the dog, the more dangerous it is. 
It takes a large amount of chocolate to be really dangerous, but gastro-intestinal upsets are easily caused. However a large quantity of chocolate can affect the heart and brain, and a few dogs die every year in the UK after eating chocolate.

source:
- VioVet


----------



## MrsBee

Thanks for posting this.

When I was a kid, our dog managed to eat an entire selection box of chocolates! Thankfully she survived but was very ill.


----------



## leashedForLife

RichardJordan said:


> Chocolate *in large quantities* is not good for dogs.
> Plain [WRONG - *dark or especially baker's* ] chocolate is much worse than milk chocolate.
> 
> The smaller the dog, the more dangerous it is.
> 
> *It takes a large amount of chocolate to be really dangerous*, but gastro-intestinal upsets are easily caused.
> However *a large quantity of chocolate* can affect the heart & brain, and a few dogs die every year
> in the UK after eating chocolate.
> 
> source: _"Festive Foods to Avoid"_, VioVet
> - VioVet


Drabbit! :incazzato: IT'S DOSAGE & DARKNESS that make chocolate MORE or LESS dangerous. :mad5:

A SMALL DOG will be more affected than a BIG DOG by the same AMOUNT of chocolate.

DARK CHOCOLATE is more dangerous, even in SMALL AMOUNTS, than milk chocolate.

BAKER'S CHOCOLATE is the MOST dangerous of all.

It does NOT require "large amounts" to KILL a dog - a small quantity of baker's chocolate could be lethal 
to a pretty good-sized dog, as in Lab-sized: 55 to 85#.

Bloody H***, it's aggravating to see completely inaccurate info on this sticky, over & over & over &... 
:mad2:


----------



## JordanWalker

Thank you for sharing us this useful information. I'm so glad that I found this thread. I will not give any chocolate or cocoa to my beloved pet since I don't want to rish his health. I 'm so glad that i found this thread and happy to share it to my friends who also have a pet at home. I really enjoyed browsing this forum site. Thank you again for this thread.


----------



## omar zafar

Hey Jordan, Actually to much is so much, and for pets little amount of chocolate is enough. But you should be aware of that your pet is not allergic to chocolates. There are chances of diabetes so be careful.


----------



## leashedForLife

omar zafar said:


> ...Actually [too] much is *so much* [???],
> 
> ...for pets [a] little amount of chocolate is enough.
> But you should *be [sure] your pet is not allergic to chocolates*.
> 
> There are *chances of diabetes*, so be careful.


It's not only the AMOUNT of chocolate - it's *how dark is it?*
Baking-chocolate is more dangerous than cocoa-powder, & milk-chocolate is less dangerous.

It's not an ALLERGY: it's cardiac problems, caused by the chemicals in chocolate.
Heart arrythmias aren't a rash, diarrhea, or itchy eyes - they can be fatal.

Chocolate *does not cause* diabetes. Pets & ppl get diabetes in part due to genetics,
& in part due to poor diet or exposure to chemicals that affect the normal metabolism, production
& function of insulin.


----------



## ackerleynelson

Once dogs have tasted chocolate, then they want again and again. And for the dog, that is bad. Any amount of chocolate is bad for a dog because it contains theobromine which affects nervous system and heart muscles of a dog. Chocolate can even kill the dogs and most common causes of canine poisoning.


----------



## katysu

Six months ago I took on my neighbours middle aged dog when he sadly passed on. I had already been feeding her for 18 months prior.
I had an uphill struggle to keep her away from chocolate as my neighbour's carers and other neighbours thought it was OK for her to have some - & granted she was never ill, but I hated it and was always worried about it.
I was able to virtually stop her being given any, I stamped my feet over it, but people around me/her did not agree.

She has never had chocolate since she has been with me, nor do I feed chocolate dog treats. When I eat chocolate - she never looks for any as she knows I don't budge over it. Its zero. 
Edit: I agree with what ackerleynelson says. I've got a sharp dog & she knows I've personally never fed her chocolate, so doesn't look for it from me. 
She gets lots of treats, she certainly doesn't seem to miss chocolate.


----------



## jessdarcy

Oh my god I never knew that chocolate can be that much dangerous for dogs. Thanks for this useful information. Keep posting such useful stuff.


----------



## Calvin1

Its really something very informative to read about as I did not know that choclate is that much dangerous for dogs as I do not have a pet yet but thinking about adopting one  . Keep posting such stuff.


----------



## zedder

Mine got hold of a large bar of milk chocolate last night has had no effect tbh I'd rather they hadn't though because it was bloody mine


----------



## jessdarcy

Its really something very informative to read about as I did not know that choclate is that much dangerous for dogs as I do not have a pet yet but thinking about adopting one . Keep posting such stuff.


----------



## Old Shep

Not that I'm suggesting complacency, but before I knew chocolate to be potentially dangerous for dogs, my collie ate around 6 full sized chocolate Easter eggs ( the large boxed variety).

I never knew chocolate could be dangerous, so didn't seek any vet care.

Luckily he was completely unaffected. Wasn't even sick! He was such a food theif!


----------



## Peach Wright

Never knew chocolate are so harmful..Thanks for showing this.


----------



## annieblack

It's interesting. It used to be a no-no, but now I can at least start sharing some of my favorite chocolates with him.


----------



## altamont

Any amount of chocolate is dangerous depending on the dogs weight and size.The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it much more slowly,The high level of theobromine in dark chocolate means it takes only a very small amount to poison a dog. Less than an ounce of dark chocolate may be enough to poison a 44-pound dog.White chocolate is not anywhere as dangerous to dogs.


----------



## Tim9874

Hey NO chocolate at all!!!!! hmy:


----------



## Dogz85

Wow that was really useful and interesting! Thanks for sharing


----------



## Prince001

The hazard of chocolate to your dog depends on the chocolate type, the amount consumed and the dog's size. Chocolate can sicken and even kill dogs, and it is one of the most common causes of canine poisoning.


----------



## angela mcpherson

totally agree too no chocolate is better


----------



## leashedForLife

Old Shep said:


> Not that I'm suggesting complacency, but before I knew chocolate to be potentially dangerous for dogs,
> my Collie ate around 6 full-sized chocolate Easter eggs (the large boxed variety).
> 
> I never knew chocolate could be dangerous, so didn't seek any vet care.
> 
> Luckily he was completely unaffected. Wasn't even sick! He was such a food thief!


Thank God, he was OK - many dogs have a greater sensitivity than average, & get very ill, indeed.


Peach Wright said:


> Never knew chocolate [is] so harmful... Thanks for showing this.


Too many owners are unaware of the dangers of common foods or food INGREDIENTS,
such as *Xylitol,* an artificial sweetener that is far-more hazardous than chocolate.
Xylitol is found in more & more foods every day; it's cheap & low-calorie, it started out as 'diet' food
& is now mainstream as an ingredient, in such unlikely places as muffins, salad-dressing, & soft drinks.

Always read ingredient-lists! - don't assume it's safe today because it was yesterday, makers can & do
change what they use, so check the label, even with known / familiar foods.

More things dangerous to dogs:
- ONIONS: destroy dogs' red-blood cells [garlic is OK, as a seasoning].
- GRAPES &/ or raisins: can cause kidney-failure


annieblack said:


> It's interesting. It used to be a no-no, but *now I can at least start sharing some of my favorite
> chocolates with* [*my dog*].


Are U blind, illiterate, or just determined to play Russian roulette with Ur dog's life? :blink:


altamont said:


> Any amount of chocolate is dangerous, depending on the [individual] dog's weight and size.
> 
> The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it
> much more slowly,The high level of theobromine in dark chocolate means it takes only a very small amount
> to poison a dog. Less than an ounce of dark chocolate may be enough to poison a 44-pound dog.


_Click!_ I heartily agree with all of the above, excellent summary of the risks. :thumbup:

Theobromine can cause HEART FAILURE in dogs; the heart races, heartbeats can become irregular,
& the arrhythmia can be fatal.


altamont said:


> White chocolate is not anywhere as dangerous to dogs.


white "chocolate" contains no COCOA or CHOCOLATE at all. :blush2:
It's intended for folks who cannot eat chocolate - they may break out in a rash, or have other nasty
reactions - diarrhea, etc. "White chocolate" is a waxy combo of vanilla / vanillin, sugar, corn-syrup, etc.


Tim9874 said:


> Hey NO chocolate at all!!!!! hmy:


YES! :yesnod: That's the best policy, & very safe. :thumbup:
.
.


----------



## Muttly

I knew chocolate was bad, would never give my dog any. But wow it really doesn't take hardly anything to make them sick!

Great link, thanks!


----------



## Luz

Although I wouldn't run the risk of giving chocolate or raisins/grapes to my dogs now, I do feel that it is 90% nonsense and it depends on the dog. (allergy perhaps?) I know of lots of dogs that have eaten whole selection boxes, dogs that loved scones, and my mum used to give grapes to her dogs as treats. We also had a dog years ago that loved chocolate digestives and bourbon biscuits.

Twenty to thirty years ago we were always told that you should never give dogs raw meat now it is trendy.


----------



## Ceiling Kitty

Luz said:


> Although I wouldn't run the risk of giving chocolate or raisins/grapes to my dogs now, I do feel that it is 90% nonsense and it depends on the dog. (allergy perhaps?) I know of lots of dogs that have eaten whole selection boxes, dogs that loved scones, and my mum used to give grapes to her dogs as treats. We also had a dog years ago that loved chocolate digestives and bourbon biscuits.
> 
> Twenty to thirty years ago we were always told that you should never give dogs raw meat now it is trendy.


I've seen a dog die of raisin toxicity and one who came close with chocolate. Last Christmas Eve I had a little dog who'd eaten a bar of Lindt chocolate. Her heart rate rocketed to almost 300bpm. I got her through it. But it was damn scary.

Grapes are not as toxic as the dried varieties such as raisins and sultanas. We do not know what quantity of raisins is toxic, and it probably varies between dogs and maybe the toxic threshold is different for each individual. This is why the VPIS generally recommends treatment for any amount of ingestion.

As for chocolate, that is dependent on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate. It's already been established that chocolate with a higher cocoa content is more dangerous than milk chocolate. Hence a couple of milk chocolate digestives is unlikely to result in toxicity for a medium or large dog, whereas a few squares of Green & Blacks 85% dark chocolate could kill a small dog.

So toxicity of these substances, as with many things, is relative. But I wouldn't call it nonsense, personally.


----------



## doblela

good article to promote chocolate awareness !


----------



## ClaireandDaisy

Does anyone else ever wonder how they tested for these statistics?


----------



## Muttly

ClaireandDaisy said:


> Does anyone else ever wonder how they tested for these statistics?


:crying: Hadn't thought of that.


----------



## Johns Habitt

Hi, Thanks for sharing this details about Dogs health. I have checked out your link and overview this briefly but I have not satisfied this for purely. My friends dog health was out of control due to regular chocolate addiction.

I think chocolate may harmful for dogs. Anyway thanks for updating this link. Nice!


----------



## EAD

My 7 year old nephew dropped a milk chocolate digestive on the floor which was scoffed quickly by Lily and Alfie (westie and scottie). I panicked and since then the dogs are kept out of the kitchen when my nephew visits lol.

I bought my friend a Lindt balls selection which included dark chocolate. He also dropped one (thankfully milk chocolate) which Alfie pounced on and ate. 

I bought my friend a box since but deliberately didn't put any dark chocolate in it lol.

No side effects for either dog but not something I want to chance again.


----------



## Brannybear

I have given my dog a handful of coco puffs every morning for as long as I can remember and he is 17.
Probably not even chocolate that's on them to be fair!


----------



## petster

Thanks a lot for this link. I will make sure that I can spread it to as many people as possible.


----------



## Johns001

chocolates are really very bad for dogs .use only healthy food for your cute dogs.
http://www.petshopbuoys.net/products/crunchy-peanut-butter-bones


----------

