Whitecourt Veterinary Clinic
Box 1769
Whitecourt, Alberta T7S 1P5
Telephone: 780-778-5767 - Fax: 780-778-5452
wctvet@telusplanet.net

Chocolate Poisoning

We would like to remind everyone that chocolate is poisonous to animals, especially dogs. Different types of chocolate are more toxic than others. From worst to least: cacao beans, baking chocolate (unsweetened), semi-sweet chocolate (chocolate chips), milk chocolate (most chocolate bars and candies), hot chocolate, and white chocolate.

Ex. A 20 lbs dog would have to eat 10 Caramilk bars to become ill and possibly die but only 2.5 squares of baker’s chocolate.

Symptoms:

If your dog eats chocolate you may see the following symptoms within 12 hours of eating it:

• vomiting, diarrhea, anxious, restless, hyperactive, excited, thirsty, peeing frequently, racing heart, hyperventilating.

If you see the following symptoms take your pet to a vet immediately:

• seizures, muscle spasms, fever, coma

• Don’t leave chocolate (or any candy) where the dog can reach it. Some dogs may even jump on tables or counters and shred containers to reach something they want.
• If your dog has eaten it recently (within the last ½ hour) put a small amount (1 tsp. for small dogs, 1 tbsp. for large dogs) of hydrogen peroxide or syrup of ipecac on the back of their tongue to make them vomit.
• Feed your dog burnt toast if they have none of the symptoms listed above. The charcoal absorbs chocolate so the body doesn’t get as much.
• Watch your dog closely for the symptoms listed above. They may take up to 24 hours to appear. The earlier the symptoms are treated the better chance your dog has of living. Some dogs with very few symptoms still die because the strain on their heart gives them a heart attack.
• Puppies should not be allowed to nurse off of a mom that has eaten chocolate since the active ingredient can pass through the milk.
• Call your vet for advice.

Afterwards:

Most dogs that recover from chocolate poisoning are fine but a few have permanent kidney damage. Your vet will be able to do urine analysis and bloodwork to determine the health of your dog’s kidneys. If your dog was pregnant when she got into the chocolate it may cause birth defects in the puppies.