Chocolate can be deadly for dogs, as is well known. What you need to pay attention to is explained here in the dog guide.
The Kansas Animal Rescue reported on a Labrador who devoured an entire tray of chocolate muffins in December:
Labrador Otto took advantage of a birthday party and indulged in a tray of chocolate muffins. The father of the family had gone out with his wife while the couple’s three children stayed home with the dog. In a feeding frenzy, the dog then unnoticedly consumed muffins with cocoa powder and chocolate frosting. As it later turned out, he didn’t stop there and treated himself to a bar of milk chocolate afterward.
Shortly afterward, Otto regretted his “feast.”
His 16-year-old owner was very worried about “Otto” and called the animal rescue. Because the Labrador was already lying on his side and twitching uncontrollably with his legs, as reported by veterinarian Dr. Gabor Horvath. The chocolate had to be quickly removed from the dog. The veterinarian administered activated charcoal and apomorphine, inducing vomiting in Otto multiple times.
The boy had acted wisely and, with the prompt emergency call, likely saved the dog’s life. Otto was taken to an animal clinic and received further medical care. The dog has since fully recovered.
Chocolate is toxic to dogs
The ingredient theobromine in chocolate is processed very slowly by dogs. Depending on the amount, chocolate is toxic for the animals and leads to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased or irregular heart rate, seizures, and altered consciousness.
Depending on the type of chocolate and the weight of the dog, poisoning can be fatal.
How to calculate the amount of chocolate that is toxic to your dog
With this chocolate calculator, you can check when chocolate becomes dangerous for your dog.
On the website, you can choose the type of chocolate because the danger depends on the cocoa content. This is always indicated on the packaging: The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is for dogs. White chocolate is not harmful as it only contains cocoa butter and no cocoa powder. Pure powder is the most dangerous.
Depending on the weight of the animal, chocolate has different health consequences for the dog. The calculator shows you, according to the traffic light principle, whether you need to worry. If it’s “green,” the dog probably only gets an upset stomach with diarrhea. If it’s “yellow,” expect vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and increased urine production.
If the result is “orange,” the consequences are more serious: The dog’s circulation can collapse, muscle twitches, and seizures can occur. If it’s “red,” the amount of chocolate is potentially deadly, and the dog shows overheating, irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulties. Death can suddenly occur through collapse.
From “orange” onwards, one should not waste time and go to the vet as soon as possible to treat the dog.
Without a calculator, you can remember the following rule of thumb: For every 10 kg of the dog, 100 g of milk chocolate is the danger limit. Anything beyond that requires prompt action.
