Chocolate is very dangerous for dogs. It contains theobromine, which is poisonous for our four-legged friends. This is why it is absolutely prohibited for dogs. However, if your dog eats chocolate against its will, you should take immediate action.
Can a dog eat milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?
Milk chocolate contains around 5 grams of theobromine per kilo. And this is a relatively small amount of this alkaloid. A similar small amount is found in white chocolate. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, contains 10 grams per kilo. 10gr per 1kg. The degree of poisoning depends on the weight of the dog and the content of the poisonous ingredient, so if the same amount of chocolate is consumed, the symptoms will be milder in the case of white or milk chocolate.
In simpler terms, milk chocolate and white chocolate are less harmful for the same amount.
Can a dog eat cocoa and drinking chocolate?
Absolutely not. In this form chocolate is the most harmful as it contains the highest amount of theobromine per unit weight.
Dog ate chocolate, symptoms.
With a small amount ingested, your dog will show normal symptoms of poisoning. If a larger amount is ingested, in extreme cases this can even be fatal. In the initial stage, we see increased activity, diarrhoea and vomiting. If our dog has eaten too much chocolate it may in the next stage get muscle twitching, arrhythmia, internal bleeding and heart attack. These symptoms can cause death.
Why is chocolate harmful to dogs?
Unlike the human body, the dog has a slowed metabolism of theobromine. In dogs, it can persist for up to 72 hours in the blood.
Theobromine is a toxin from the methylxanthine group
What should you do if your dog eats chocolate?
What we certainly need to know is that if a dog eats a small amount of chocolate, the consequence will probably only be mild poisoning. Of course, everything depends on the weight of the four-legged dog, so if we have a small dog, even with a small amount we should intervene. The most important thing is to go to the vet as soon as possible, only in this way we will get professional and reliable help. In the meantime, as temporary measures we should:
- induce vomiting (up to 2 hours after ingestion),
- give plenty of water,
- we can give one tablespoon of pharmacy coal.
