Does chocolate really kill a dog? Chocolate contains a substance called theobroma-oxytocin, which can be dangerous to dogs when taken in large doses. Ingesting chocolate can produce a number of symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and even death. Use chocolate toxicity calculators to determine if your dog has ingested a potentially harmful amount.
How long does it take for effects of chocolate to occur? This depends on what you feed your dog. If your dog eats a lot of chocolate (as many do) and then suddenly stops eating, he could suffer serious consequences. Dogs that consume too much chocolate tend to develop kidney stones, cardiovascular problems, and weight loss – among other serious health issues.
Theobromine and other chemicals found in chocolate can affect your dog’s central nervous system. This is why you may hear in the news that a chocolate bar contains ants, or “brain bugs.” Ants are a common ingredient in chocolate because they help to ward off hungry rodents, but the bugs in chocolate can cause serious health problems in your dog if they eat enough.
How can chocolate affect my cats? Again, you’ll often hear the term “chocolate poisoning.” It’s a common mistake to believe that cats cannot get chocolate poisoning, but chocolate contains caffeine, just as it does in coffee. If your cat drinks a huge cup of coffee, the caffeine in the coffee can pass into the bloodstream, and reach the cats. The caffeine can alter the flow of blood vessels in the body, causing blood poisoning. Caffeine also affects the heart and liver, so make sure you supervise drinks that contain caffeine, particularly ones that are served hot.
Can chocolate affect a diabetic dog? Yes, if the chocolate is very hot or very raw. Some diabetics can overindulge when it comes to their sweets, and chocolate contains sugar that can raise blood glucose levels. Just like in humans, too much glucose in the bloodstream can cause hyperglycemia, which leads to diabetes. So if your diabetic dog regularly eats chocolates that are too raw or too hot, speak to your vet about ways to gradually increase the amount of milk or other sweeteners he receives.
Will chocolate kill a fish infected with chlamydia? A dog can’t contract chlamydia through eating chocolate; rather, the bacteria in the disease enters through an organ such as the anus. Some dogs, especially older ones, are more susceptible to contracting this disease through eating than others. Talk to your vet about ways to make sure your pet doesn’t contract chlamydia through contaminated food.
Do dogs metabolize theobromine? Yes, as long as the chocolate is made from a pure product, which means the cocoa content is completely pure and not mixed with other ingredients. It would be more difficult for some dogs with certain metabolic disorders to metabolize theobromine since they usually don’t make enough of the chemical in their systems.
Will chocolate kill a small dog? Yes, it can and it’s probably because it’s a stimulant. However, any dog chocolate poisoning should be treated with care since it can cause further health problems, especially if the dog is already sick.
How do I know my dog won’t get chocolate poisoning? The answer is pretty simple – you just try to avoid feeding your dogs anything that contains chocolate. Yes, you’ll find lots of commercial treats that contain a lot of theobromine. These include cookies, cakes, chocolate bars, and other types of confections. As a matter of fact, dogs won’t usually show any other symptoms of chocolate poisoning other than diarrhea, so you may be able to avoid feeding them any of these foods.
What foods should I give my dog to avoid chocolate poisoning? The best chocolate-free treats for dogs are organic foods like organic avocados, bananas, grapes, apples, and wheat berries. Other treats that are safe for consumption are rice cakes, prune preserves, strawberries, and pineapple chunks. Other foods that aren’t safe are white chocolate, white peas, white rice, white sweet potatoes, and any white chocolate with a high cocoa content.
If you’re wondering how much chocolate can a dog eat, the simple answer is “as much as they like”. A dog that’s not eating any other foods won’t have any problems with chocolate at all. Chocolate doesn’t make a healthy diet. And although some dogs do have milk chocolate toxicityosis, this condition is easily avoided by making sure your dog never has any processed sugar, white rice, or white sweet potatoes in their diet.
Is chocolate good for dogs? The bottom line is that chocolate has plenty of nutrients that dogs need. It’s important for them to stay active and fit, but chocolate can also provide them with a burst of energy that they may not get from exercise alone. As long as you don’t feed your dog too much chocolate, and keep their portion sizes reasonable, you won’t have any problem providing your dog with enough chocolate to keep them happy and healthy.