Why Can't Dogs Eat Chocolate?

If you own a dog, or not, chances are that you've heard that you shouldn't feed your dog chocolate because it's poisonous to them. Chocolate has the potential to kill a dog! How could chocolate, a harmless treat, be able to kill a dog? How much chocolate is considered deadly? What should you do if your dog unknowingly consumes chocolate?

Chocolate contains a chemical compound called theobromine. Theobromine is originally found in cocoa beans. Unlike humans, dogs take a much longer time to metabolize chocolate, allowing it to build up toxic levels. Theobromine stays in a dog's bloodstream for up to 20 hours. Small amounts of chocolate lead to vomiting. When a dog has eaten a large amount of chocolate, it interferes with the body's normal functions. The overdose will lead to hyperactivity, this includes abnormal heartbeat, muscle tremors, internal bleeding and seizures. 100-200 mg of the chemical per kg of body weight is enough to poison a dog. Your dog should never get a taste for chocolate because dogs find the taste of theobromine addictive and will try to find and eat it the next time they see some. Imagine
craving poisonous substances because you crave its taste!
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Different cocoa products have different levels of theobromine. White and milk chocolate having the least while dark chocolate and cocoa powder having the most.
The approximate list goes as follows:


  • White chocolate contains 1.1 mg of theobromine per ounce of chocolate
  • Milk chocolate contains 64 mg of theobromine per ounce of chocolate
  • Dark chocolate contains 150 mg of theobromine per ounce of chocolate
  • Baking chocolate contains 440 mg of theobromine per ounce of chocolate
  • Cocoa powder contains 808 mg of theobromine per ounce of chocolate
If your dog has eaten a large amount of chocolate, you should see your veterinarian immediately. Treatment depends on the dog and the amount of chocolate consumed. The dog will usually vomit out the poison but if not, the vet can give the dog some hydrogen peroxide to encourage it to regurgitate its food out. A vet may also use activated charcoal and intravenous fluid therapy.

Along with chocolate, dogs can't consume caffeine, grapes, rai
sins, onions, garlic, alcohol, dairy, persimmons, peaches and plums. Responsible dog owners never feed these foods and keep them away in a safe place. Just another procedure in keeping a healthy dog.

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