Why Dogs and Chocolate Do Not Mix!

As you can see in my photo, I have five furry kids, to others, known as dogs. They often will look up to me with that pathetic begging look begging for the chocolate that I am eating. Their cute faces will not weaken me and I will stay firm. They will not get any of my chocolate....never.

Once dogs have tasted chocolate, they only want more. That is definitely a bad thing for dogs. According to veterinarians, if a dog eats just a bit of chocolate it can lead to the dog craving it all the time. What this means, is that your dog will lunge at any occasion to get at any type of chocolate. Your dog doesn't know that some chocolates are more toxic than others are. Epileptic seizures in some dogs can be brought on by eating too much chocolate. Some types of chocolate can even kill a dog. Dog poisoning with chocolate is more common than you might think.

Why is Chocolate Lethal?

Chocolate contains the stimulant theobromine which is found in the cocoa bean. Theobromine affects the central nervous system as well as the heart muscle and increases urination. Each kind of chocolate has different amounts of theobromine but this is what is poisonous to dogs.

There are some symptoms that you will notice if your dog has eaten a lethal dose of chocolate. Vomiting, hyperactivity or diarrhea happens within the first few hours. As time goes by, the toxic material is being absorbed within the dog's system. You will notice your dog's heart rate increase, which can cause muscle twitching, restlessness, hyperactivity, arrhythmia, extreme panting and increased urination. It can then lead to muscle tremors, hyperthermia, seizures, coma and even death.

How much is too much chocolate?

It is not going to cause too many problems if a 50 pound dog eats a teaspoonful of milk chocolate. If that same dog stuffs himself on a triple layer chocolate cake, his tummy will be upset and he will more than likely have diarrhea or vomit.

It is not easy to answer the question "How much is too much chocolate?" The age and the health of the dog must be judged. If your dog is older and not in the best of shape, his reaction to a plate of chocolate would be quite different than with a young healthy dog of the same weight.

Another thing to consider is that not all the chocolate is the same. Some chocolate only has a little theobromine while others have a lot in it. The ratio of the amount of theobromine to the weight of the dog is what matters in how sick or deadly the chocolate is.

Based on this information, I would never let any of my dogs have any bit of chocolate at all never...ever!! If I have chocolate in the house, it is kept way up out of their reach in a cabinet. Be very careful around Valentine's Day and Easter as these holidays tend to bring the chocolate out. Please keep all chocolate away from your dogs and never give it to them no matter how hard they beg. It could be a matter of life and death.