Something all dog owners should know is that chocolate is NOT on the menu for our pooch.
But with chocolate dominating many of our annual celebrations, there’s usually a lot lying around the house - especially at Christmas and Easter. So, what should you do if your dog manages to eat your chocolate on the sly?
In this article, we’ll tell you why chocolate is toxic to dogs, how to prevent your pooch from getting into anything chocolatey, and what to do, step-by-step, if your dog munches on your chocolate treats.
Dogs can’t eat any chocolate made for humans under any circumstances because it contains ingredients that the delicate canine body can’t process. Put simply, when dogs eat chocolate, it can have toxic or even lethal side effects.
White chocolate is less harmful to a dog than milk chocolate and dark chocolate, which is the most toxic. However, it’s still packed full of sugar, fat and often artificial ingredients which are of no nutritional benefit to them. Best to steer your pooch away from all chocolate, unless it’s the kind that is made specifically for dogs.
No - a dog should not eat dark chocolate under any circumstances.
Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa solids and therefore has a more condensed amount of theobromine, the toxic compound that affects a dog’s nervous system and can prove fatal.
"Dog owners should also be mindful that, as well as regular chocolate, cocoa powder and baking chocolate are very toxic, much like dark chocolate. Plus, many toppings and added ingredients in chocolate can also be extremely toxic and should be taken into consideration, especially common additions like nuts and raisins."
The main ingredient in chocolate that is toxic to dogs is theobromine.
This is a compound that the human body can digest just fine, but dogs can’t metabolise in the same way. Chocolate also contains caffeine, which can be similarly dangerous to pooches.
Both of these substances impact the canine nervous system and kidneys, essentially speeding up their heart rate to unmanageable levels and leading to serious health issues or, in the most severe cases, death.
Here are the main symptoms that may show if your pooch has eaten chocolate, from least to most severe.
If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten chocolate, firstly, be calm. It’s understandable (and sensible!) to be concerned, but it’s really important that you’re able to think clearly and take the following steps.
What do you do if your dog has eaten chocolate but is acting fine?
Though this can happen, your pooch isn’t safe yet - symptoms of chocolate poisoning sometimes don’t show until 6-12 hours after eating it. This is why it’s super important to watch your dog if you think they’ve eaten chocolate and take note of how they’re behaving.
If they’ve eaten a large amount of chocolate, call a vet immediately, whether they are showing symptoms or not. Fast treatment of chocolate poisoning can make the difference between life and death.
Even small amounts of theobromine in chocolate can be dangerous to your dog’s nervous system, but how much impact it has is usually determined by the size of your dog in relation to how much chocolate they’ve eaten.
It also depends on the type of chocolate (dark chocolate is most dangerous as it contains the most cocoa solids, which is where theobromine is naturally found).
As the risks are dependent on the ‘amount of chocolate-to-body weight’ ratio, the danger of chocolate poisoning is bigger if your dog is small.
However, even a large dog can have a severe reaction to chocolate if they eats too much. If a large dog has eaten a tiny piece of chocolate, they may not experience any harm - but you should be extremely vigilant to check for symptoms either way.
Yes, if a dog eats too much chocolate, it can be lethal.
It’s extremely important to keep chocolate out of a dog’s reach, and if they do manage to eat some, are showing symptoms, or they’ve eaten a large amount, seek treatment immediately to avoid the worst-case scenario.
There are so many events in life we celebrate with chocolate, and this can pose a big risk. Keeping your pooch far away from chocolate should be a top priority in your home.
As well as chocolate, make sure you’re aware of other common foods that are toxic to dogs. Onions, garlic and grapes are common food items you'd find in any kitchen, and are also extremely toxic to dogs. To explore more about other non-dog friendly foods, be sure to read our article exploring the dangers of feeding your dog some human foods.
If you don’t want your dog to miss out on a sweet treat, you could feed some of these sweet dog treats instead:
If you’re looking for dog-friendly chocolate-alternatives for your pooch over the Easter period, Pooch & Mutt healthy treats for dogs are bursting with organic ingredients and gut-friendly probiotics, in flavours like peanut butter, shrimp and turkey & hemp.
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