Death by chocolate

We’ve all heard that chocolate is hazardous for dogs, but exactly how much chocolate does a dog need to eat before it becomes fatal?

Chocolate contains theobromine, which is in the same family as caffeine. This substance is toxic to dogs as it causes hyper-excitability, increased heart rate, increased urination, muscle tremours, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Fortunately, a dog needs to take in a fairly large amount of theobromine for it to cause a toxic reaction. Since different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine, the reaction your dog could have will depend on the type of chocolate it ingests as well as the weight of your dog. Dark chocolate, baking chocolate and cocoa powder are the most lethal types of chocolate for dogs.

For more information you can visit this site, which gives you an idea of what a toxic dose for your dog might be. The common mistake that most dog owners make is that they think their dogs are unaffected by the chocolate and that the side effects don’t occur for several hours.

There is no cure for ‘chocolate poisoning’. The best thing to do is to contact your veterinarian should your dog experience any of the above symptoms.