Chocolate and dogs

Sorry I didn't post this Sunday I was doing DofE with my school. Whilst I was on DofE I was craving chocolate then I thought how chocolate can kill dogs and it made me want to know how it killed them and the reasons for it and the treatments.

What is it that is toxic? 

- the toxic element in chocolate is something called theobromine.

- humans can metabolise this component that is why we can eat chocolate.

- dogs however can only metabolise this very slowly which can lead to a build up of the toxin to dangerous levels.

Factors

What has to be taken into account when thinking about a dog who has eaten chocolate is.

1. The amount of chocolate the dog has eaten. This can help determine how harmful the effects will be.

2. The size of your dog, if you have a small dog smaller quantities of chocolate can be serious than if a larger dog ate the same amount.

3. The type of chocolate, for example cooking and dark chocolate contain the highest concentration of theobromine whereas milk chocolate and white chocolate contain the least.

Symptoms 

One piece of chocolate won't harm your dog too much they may develop an upset stomach and vomit or have diarrhoea. However if a small dog has eaten a box of chocolates then call the vet straight away don't wait.

If a large amount of chocolate has been ingested then the tell tale symptoms are severe hyperactivity in the onset. As the poisoning progresses the dog may experience muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack these can all be extremely dangerous so it is important to call the vet.

Treatment 

The normal treatment for a suspected theobromine poisoning is to induce vomiting within 2 hours of ingested. This forces the toxic element to be expelled from the body and the high levels that can lead to death to be greatly reduced.

Overview 

So just an overview as it comes round to easter weekend. Please be careful can don't leave chocolate lying around the house, a dog doesn't know any different they will eat it. And if you do see any of the symptoms listed above or even think your dog may have eaten a dangerous amount of chocolate please do CALL A VET. The earlier the toxins can be removed the better it is for the dog.