Dark chocolate generally contains about 50% more theobromine than milk chocolate. One lengthy visit will entail more preparation and patience on your part, but savings could be substantial. If you’re making a meatless main dish like mac and cheese or beans and rice, then a few long, thin, julienned steak slices will almost guarantee maximum attention and appreciation for the salad course. Then call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline. Each time either of you spots that word, you call it out, and your child makes a tally mark. Beginning at 7, children store increasingly linear memories that fit succinctly into a sense of time and space. From the beginning of this breed, it is most favorite of aristocrats and kings. Symptoms of methylxanthine poisoning include vomiting, hyperactivity, restlessness, hypersensitivity to touch (the dog will jump when touched), very rapid heartbeat and breathing rate, a loss of control of leg muscles, muscle tremors, then seizures, general weakness, coma and while rare, death can occur, usually due to the adverse action of methylxanthines on the heart. As well as the disappointment of finding it missing, it’s loss could also mean a quick visit to your vet is needed!
But what does that mean? Cacao bean mulch contains enough theobromine to be toxic if a dog or cat eats large enough amounts of it. In most cases a quick trip to the vet to make them sick is all that is required but if they ate the chocolate more than a few hours previously or they ate a very large amount above the toxic dose then they may need hospitalization for closer monitoring and treatment. These are average figures and some dogs may be more sensitive than others to the effects of chocolate toxicity. You can read more about this in my article all about the dangers of xylitol poisoning in dogs. Thankfully most dog owners are very aware of the dangers of chocolate and severe, untreated poisoning is rare. This means it is important to look out for signs of poisoning even if you don’t think your pet has eaten enough to be affected.
It doesn’t even need to take that much for toxic signs to be shown. While spring gobblers are hunted one-at-a-time, fall hunters in teams can often take two or three birds from a good-sized flock as it tries to reassemble. This is especially important with chocolate as it can stay in the gut for several days. White chocolate is in effect harmless. The toxic theobromine in white chocolate is so insignificant that the substantial quantities will not cause chocolate propylene glycol poisoning but severe other health damage. Sure there might be some vomiting or diarrhea if a lot if eaten but the chance of significant poisoning is virtually non-existent. Granted, that’s a lot of chocolate but remember that for some dogs a lethal dose could be only half that amount. Thankfully most owners are aware chocolate is toxic. However, if you are worried, it’s never a bad idea to bring them to a veterinarian’s office anyway just to be safe. What does make chocolate bad for pups? It will take 14 ounces of milk chocolate to be a toxic amount. Then take your dog to an emergency vet IMMEDIATELY. It’s also important to remember that it will take much less chocolate to be a problem for smaller dogs than larger dogs, so take any ingestion seriously and make sure you take the proper steps to helping your pet.
Chocolate toxicity is a common problem seen in dogs, and it often stems from accidental ingestion. With chocolate and dogs, size counts. However animals – especially cats, dogs, horses, birds, and small pets – are unable to effectively metabolize theobromine. This contains much higher levels of theobromine and while the amount varies, the recommendation is that if a pet eats more than 3.5g per kg body weight (or 0.055 oz per lb body weight) they need to be treated. This equates to 1 oz per lb body weight. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts a lethal dose (for 50% of the canine population) at 250 and 500 mg of theobromine per kg of body weight but warns that deaths have been reported at dosages as low as 115 mg/kg. 14g of chocolate needs to be eaten per kg body weight before treatment is recommended. It all depends on how much of the poisonous ingredient theobromine is in the type of chocolate eaten. Can You Help Your Dog if They’ve Eaten Chocolate? Can you match the picture with the correct breed? Dogs can eat carob without danger. Most dogs are seen for treatment long before they are truly in danger.