Have you ever fed your dog chocolate? Are you curious about what exactly happens when they eat chocolate? Or why should they refrain from eating chocolate? If you’re worried about your dog, then you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re going to tell you all about what happens when your dog eats some chocolate.
Is chocolate good for your dog?
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If you feed them a lot of chocolate, you should probably stop doing that since chocolate is pretty much a lot like poison to dogs. That’s right, and sadly, if you feed your dog a big amount of chocolate, they’ll most probably die.
Now, you may be wondering, which part of the chocolates does it makes it poisonous? Luckily science has the answer for you. There is something called theobromine in chocolate, which is poisonous to dogs. Dark chocolate has the highest amount of theobromine. There is theobromine in milk chocolate as well, so even feeding your dog some milk chocolate is an absolute no-no. Other than theobromine, there are a lot of ingredients in chocolate that are not suitable for dogs, such as fat, sugar, and caffeine. These are unhealthy and may pose a threat to their health.
If you have accidentally fed your dog some chocolate, do not be over-alarmed. It might not be as harmful as you think. As I said earlier, dark chocolate usually contains so much more theobromine compared to milk chocolate. So, it does depend on what kind of chocolate you fed them. There are mainly two factors that will determine how harmful chocolates are to your dog. The first factor depends on the amount of chocolate your dog consumed. If you didn’t feed them too much, then you’re probably on the safer side. But if you feel like you fed them a lot of chocolate, then you should be pretty worried. Another factor is the size of your dog. Big dogs can tolerate more chocolate as they have stronger immune systems.
Meanwhile, small dogs usually will not be able to take as much chocolate as bigger dogs do. They are more easily susceptible to be ‘poisoned’. Hence, their physical size and amount of chocolate consumed are factors that you should take note of.
What happens if your dog eats chocolate?
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Unfortunately, if your dog has eaten some chocolate, they’d most probably suffer from seizures, internal bleeding, experience an irregular heartbeat, heart attack, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Now that we’ve understood the effects of chocolate has on your dogs, what should you do if they consume chocolate? Here is a list that will hopefully help you decide what you should do:
- If your dog has eaten a large amount of chocolate, let’s say a box, take them to the nearest vet from your location right away so that they can be treated immediately. Even if you do not have an idea of how much chocolate did they consume, it is still advisable to bring them for a checkup. Prevention is better than cure.
- If your dog has only taken a very small amount of chocolate, you should keep a good watch on them and take note of any abnormal behaviors. A small amount of chocolate usually will not affect much to their health, but it may not necessarily be the case for all. You can also try playing with them using their favorite toys to see how they react to it. If they are not as active as usual, then it could probably mean that something is wrong with their health. In the meantime, visit this site to find out which toys are most suitable and well-liked by dogs. If you are still worried, you should take them to the vet to get them to check thoroughly. It is always better to be safe than sorry anyway, right?
If you’re wondering about the different toxicity levels for the other kind of chocolates, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start from the most toxic chocolate that you should be very cautious of, which is cocoa powder, with unsweetened baker’s chocolate coming up next, followed by semisweet chocolate then unsweetened baker’s chocolate, and dark chocolate. The least toxic type of chocolate would be milk chocolate.
What are the symptoms or signs to look out for in your dog for possible chocolate poisoning?
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If your dog has eaten cocoa powder, you should take them to the vet immediately and observe them.
So, what exactly would these signs be? Well, it was already mentioned much earlier. The common symptoms are usually vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, and seizures. The list is non-exhaustive as different dogs will experience different symptoms. It is hard to pinpoint the exact symptoms for you to look out for. If you find that your dog is not behaving normally, you should take extra caution and be prepared to bring it to the vet. Do not wait till the very last minute as every minute counts, especially when their health is at stake.
Hopefully, this article will help you to understand more about what you should do when your dog eats chocolate, or even if you’re reading this for extra knowledge about dogs. All in all, make sure that chocolates are placed out of your beloved pet’s reach. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
