Why is chocolate bad for dogs?

Question

Why is chocolate bad for dogs?

Answer 1

The only thing in chocolate that is bad for a dog is the theobromine. Theobromine is very similar to caffine, and most people commonly get the two confused. Like dogs, horses are also affected greatly by chocolate, which is one of the reasons why it is banned from horse racing. Theobromine boosts the animals energy, and the smaller the animal, the less chocolate, or theobromine, it takes to kill them. It takes a really large amount of the theobromine to signifigantly hurt the animal. As more of the theobromine enters the dogs system, their body tries to "purge it out" through vomiting and diarrhea. He or she will most likely cry too. But if your animal starts to get these symptoms, he or she should be taken to a vet immediately. One little piece won't kill him or her, but after a while, large amounts will damage the dog's system. These symptoms DO NOT mean your dog will die, but they are just warning signs and need to be taken into consideration. One of the main reasons dogs die from chocolate is that it makes their heart race too fast, and after a while, will give out. Most of the time, the racing heart will come after the vomiting or diarrhea. Other common symptoms are increased urination, muscle twitching, or excessive panting. The end result of chocolate could be seizures, coma, or ultimately, death. The time it takes to get these outcomes depends on age, size, health of your dog, and the type of chocolate they ingest.

Hope this answer helped.

Answer 2

Chocolate contains theobromine. A naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine that is poisonous to dogs.

Symptoms of Chocolate Dog Ingestion and Poisoning

You can recognize that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate from the symptoms. Within the first few hours, the evidence includes vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes and there's increased absorption of the toxic substance, you'll see an increase in the dog's heart rate, which can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.

This can lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.

How Much Chocolate Is Deadly?

If a 50-pound dog eats a teaspoonful of milk chocolate, it's not going to cause serious problems. However, if that same dog gorges himself on a two-layer chocolate cake, his stomach will feel more than upset and soon it's likely he'll be vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.

To answer the question "How much is too much" is not simple. The health and age of your dog must be considered. Obviously if your dog is aged and not in top shape, his reaction to a plate of chocolate is going to be different from a young healthy dog of the same weight.

Another fact that must be considered is this: Not all chocolate is the same. Some has a small amount of theobromine; another type has a large amount and still another contains an amount that is somewhere in between. The quantity has a relationship with the weight of your dog. Small dogs can be poisoned, it is easy to understand, from smaller amounts of theobromine than large dogs.

Which chocolate is the safest, relatively speaking? White chocolate. It has the least amount of theobromine: 1 mg per ounce. Far on the other side of the spectrum is baking chocolate, which has a huge 450 mg of theobromine per ounce!

Answer 3

Why is Chocolate Lethal?

Chocolate contains theobromine. A naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine that is poisonous to dogs.