What to do when you dog eats chocolate?

Question

My dog has no vet; and she just ate a whole Hershey bar not one of the small ones but the huge ones. i have no clue what to do and i am worried if she will get hurt. What do i do?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

i have had two dogs consume considerably more chocolate than a chocolate bar with no ill effects whatsoever (dogs weighed 14 pounds and 28 pounds) ... just watch your dogs behaviour and she should be fine ... DO NOT induce vomiting ...

and to the person whose dog ate the 5 pound kiss and box, that is still making me smile, something my dog would do too :O)

Answer 2

Don't worry, it's just milk chocolate. If it were a large amount of dark chocolate or cocoa beans it would be a lot worse. It's the antioxidants that are what really harm the dog, and there isn't much antioxidants in a Hershey's chocolate bar. Most of those antioxidants in the chocolate were boiled away when the cocoa bean was heated to make that chocolate bar, then doused with milk and other ingredients. So your puppy will probably just get a tummy ache, and most likely either throw up or have a really nasty poop. Just be very gentle with her; try not to play with her too vigorously for the rest of the day. Treat it as if she is a little kid that got in to too much candy; expect a couple of messy accidents.
I know everyone says "no chocolate; chocolate kills dogs" but this is not true. I have seen and heard of many dogs getting in to chocolate and being fine. Some don't even get tummy aches.
My moms dog ate an entire 8x12 pan of brownies and he survived. He was super hyper for a while, then had a nice big nap and poop and he was perfectly fine!
Don't worry unless she starts yelping as if in agonizing pain. Then seek a vet; but that is not likely to happen. Make sure she drinks plenty of water.

Source(s):

Reading. Experience.

Answer 3

It depends on the size of your dog and the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate. I attached an article with the toxic lever per pound.

"1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate."

If your dog is small you may need to feed her blackened toast to help absorb the chocolate, and then induce vomiting. See attached article.

It is really best though to consult a vet. Try calling the vets in your area, even if your dog is not a regular patient, they will at least be able to tell you how serious the situation is and most likely will not turn you away in an emergency. If you can't find a vet open now, here is a number for a nation Pet 911 call center, it is staffed by vets from the ASPCA & open 24 hours, they can better advise you. 888-426-4435.

It's also a good idea to find a regular vet for your dog to take her to for check ups and vaccinations and to have someone to call in the event of an emergency.

Good luck, hope your dog is ok.

Source(s):

http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOG…

http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm…

Answer 4

My dog has had a lot of chocolate before (we don't give it to him; he gets into the pantry) and although it gives him mild seizures, he's otherwise healthy anyway. However, get your dog to the hospital. I do know many cases where dogs eat large amounts of chocolate (i.e. Yorkie eating a large bag of chocolate eggs; aluminum and all) and end up fine, but you don't want to risk it.

Watch for any signs of illness, especially vomiting.

Answer 5

Chocolate is not good for dogs, but it's not the instant death it's been made out to be either. Generally speaking, the purer the chocolate, the more dangerous it is in smaler amounts. So, white chocolate would be the least harmful and a 10 lb. dog could probably ingest as much as 20 ounces before becoming ill; milk chocolate is more harmful, then dark chocolate more than that, than the most dangerous - baking chocolate, where the same 10 lb. dog might only need to consume 2 ounces of chocolate to be sick.

Every dog is different however, just like people. We once had a German Shepherd who ate anything including a FIVE POUND solid Hershey's Kiss, without any ill effects. She even washed it down with the cardboard box it came in and the tin foil wrapping too. Didn't so much as belch, although I can only imagine the stomach ache she must have had. A Whippet is a smaller breed and is finer boned with less fat than your average German Shepherd. The purity of the chocolate and the amount ingested are what's of concern. If it was a chocolate covered eclair, I'm guessing the chocolate was somewhere between milk chocolate and dark chocolate?

What you have to watch for is heavy panting, vomiting and rapid heart beat. Vomiting may be likely anyway given that she ate who-knows-what from the garbage, but it's the strange or obviously stressed behavior that you must look for and as her owner, would be best suited to recognize in subtle changes. A day from now she'll probably be acting completely fine and you'll be out of the woods. In the mean time: watch her closely, make sure she continues her normal behaviors of eating (dog food), drinking water, and going to the bathroom. If she does begin to pant heavily and behave oddly, the ASPCA has some wonderful information on their website and they have a 24-hour emergency poison control hotline you can call. I would check out their website to see if there are any professional opinions from vets about what if anything you can give her to counteract any ill effects, and call the hotline only if you become really concerned as I'm pretty sure there's a $50 charge for an emergency consultation.

All-in-all, I'd just watch her and not be too concerned. I've seen many dogs eat chocolate and worse and be none the worse for wear.

#

Toxic Levels: http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOG…

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

On average,
Milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per oz.
Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg/oz.
Baker's chocolate 390mg/oz.

Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as:
1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate.

So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker's chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems.

Clinical Signs

Xanthines affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs:

Hyper excitability
Hyper irritability
Increased heart rate
Restlessness
Increased urination
Muscle tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Treatment

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

Answer 6

They will tell you to give a tablespoonful of hydrogen peroxide by mouth. It will take a couple of minutes but the dog will throw up everything in their stomach. I would give the peroxide and then take the dog outside because it can be a HUGE mess! Good luck!

Answer 7

It's true that chocolate is not good for dogs. But mainly in it's true form, like baker's chocolate. Keep an eye on her. She should be fine. They have to eat a HUGE amount for it to be very harmful. And get her a vet!!! She needs regular healthcare!!!

Answer 8

you need to call the emergency vet; they can direct you from there. They may give you a home remedy or will encourage you to come in so they can give your dog the medical attention it needs. You absolutely need to call them.

Answer 9

You don't need to have a regular vet. Bring her to any veterinarian that is still open tonight. Go online and find one. Chocolate is fatal!

Source(s):

I am a Pet Nutrition Specialist.

Answer 10

[phone] That's the # for ASPCA poison control. Give them your dog's weight, and the size of the bar & they will tell you if any action is required. And your dog SHOULD have a vet

Answer 11

LOL i thought chocolate is like poison to dogs...wonder where your dog found it, why was chocolate so easily accessible to your dog, i thought you loved your dog...gotta protect it!