Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?

Is Chocolate Bad For Dogs?

Have you ever returned from work and found the remains of a perfectly good box of chocolates scattered around your home? While it’s unlikely that your canine companion was taking a go at redecorating your living room, chances are your pup was looking for something to snack on. Dogs and chocolate, (except the Labrador variety) generally aren’t a good mix; here are some things to take into consideration next time you’re asking “Can dogs eat chocolate?”

Can dogs eat chocolate even if it’s a small amount?

When it comes to chocolate, dogs most certainly can and will eat chocolate, but the more serious question is “should they be eating chocolate?” The consensus from the experts is no, dogs should not be eating chocolate, even in small amounts. Depending on what kind of chocolate, the size of your dog, and how much it consumed, can mean the difference between a routine monitoring situation and a trip to the emergency vet.

What kind of chocolate?

Chocolate contains a potentially harmful substance called theobromine which is found naturally in cocoa. This substance can cause an increase in heart rate, neurological issues, and a whole host of other problems if consumed by dogs in large amounts. Chocolate with higher amounts of cocoa, like dark chocolate, contains a lot more theobromine than milk chocolate making it more harmful to dogs

How much chocolate was consumed?

If Fido takes a bite of a Snickers Bar from your Halloween basket, you’ve probably got nothing to worry about, on the other hand, if your dog dines on an entire bar of unsweetened baker’s chocolate, there’s likely good reason to be concerned. Toxicity levels vary depending on how much was consumed.

How much does your dog weigh?

Weight is also a factor to consider if you’re wondering whether dogs can eat chocolate or not. A 160lb Great Dane eating a Hershey Kiss will likely be less toxic than if a 6lb Chihuahua ate an entire bar of semi-sweet chocolate. The smaller the dog the greater the cause for concern.

How much chocolate is toxic?

It’s difficult to tell the level of toxicity by the amount of chocolate your pet has consumed when there are so many factors to consider. How much is too much? Most of the time, eating some chocolate does not result in a serious situation, but it’s always a good idea to give the vet a call and let them know what happened. Here are some things you can do to monitor toxicity.

• Keep an eye out for signs of toxicity. (vomiting, diarrhea, panting, tremors)
• Use an online Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter to determine severity.
• Provide a calm and relaxing environment for your pet while detoxing.
• If symptoms increase, go to the vet.

The doggone truth.

Most dog owners have had to deal with chocolate toxicity at some point in their pet friendship and likely very little has come of it. While many times your dog may not even exhibit any symptoms or atypical behavior after noshing on some chocolate, it doesn’t mean that your pet has some kind of theobromine-inhibiting superpower. Your dog probably didn’t eat enough of it in relation to its weight and the amount of concentrated cocoa in that particular kind of chocolate to have any real effect. Next time though, it could be a completely different story if your dog consumes large amounts of dark chocolate. If you’re still wondering “can dogs eat chocolate? Take it from the experts who say it’s never a good idea for dogs to eat chocolate.