Berkeley Veterinary Center 

                                                A Lifetime of Wellness for the Pets You Love

 

Chocolate Toxicity

 

Chocolate may be great for you to eat, but as for your furry friend it can be very dangerous.  Chocolate is high in fat and because of that it can cause Pancreatitis.  Diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain are signs that can lead down the dangerous path to Pancreatitis.  If your companion comes down with Pancreatitis it is the fat that causes the problem more than the chocolate itself.

Chocolate contains fat and sugar which in most cases creates a temporary upset stomach.  Chocolate is toxic because of the Theobromine that is contained within it.   The more chocolate liquor there is in a product, the more Theobromine is present.  This is the reason why baking chocolate is the worst for pets.  The second worst is semi-sweet followed by dark chocolate.  The fourth worst is milk chocolate and last but not least chocolate flavored cakes or cookies.

Theobromine is known to cause the following: 

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Hyperactivity
  • Tremors
  • Seizures
  • Racing heart rhythm progressing to abnormal rhythms
  • Death in sever cases

The toxic doses of Theobromine is as follows:

  • 9mg per pound of dog for mild signs
  • up to 18mg per pound of dog for severe signs

Milk chocolate contains 44mg/ounce of Theobromine while semisweet chocolate contains 150mg per ounce, and baking chocolate contains 390mg per ounce.

Number of OUNCES of CHOCOLATE a Pet Would Need to Ingest for TOXICITY

Weight of Pet
in Pounds

5

10

15

20

25

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milk Chocolate
(ounces)

2

4

6

8.2

10.2

12.3

16.4

20.5

24.5

28.6

32.7

36.8

41

Dark Chocolate
(ounces)

0.7

1.4

2.1

2.8

3.5

4.2

5.5

6.9

8.3

9.7

11

12.5

13.8

Baking Chocolate
(ounces)

0.23

0.5

0.7

0.9

1.2

1.4

1.9

2.3

2.8

3.2

3.7

4.1

4.6

 

 It can take nearly 4 days for the effects of chocolate to work its way out of your dog's system.  It is possible to induce vomiting if the chocolate was only just eaten.  If not hospitalization and support are needed until the chocolate has worked its way out of the system.