Chocolate is Sweet...but can be Deadly
My-Dog.info > Dogs, Diet & Food
Chocolate and cocoa contain both of the
methylxanthines,theobromine and caffeine which can be toxic to
animals if fed to excess. Most dangerous is baking chocolate,
which contains seven to ten times the amount of theobromine that
ordinary milk chocolate does. One ounce of baking chocolate or,
about 3/10 of a one kilogram bag of chocolate pieces ( 9-10 oz.)
can be life-threatening to a 5 kg dog. Put another way, the
ingestion of approximately 24 oz or roughly ¾ of a kilogram
(1.65 pounds) of milk chocolate would result in a potentially
lethal dose for a 12 kg (26 ½ pound) dog.
Dogs are more likely to become poisoned by eating chocolate
than cats, probably because they like the sweet taste of
chocolate and because cats tend to be fussier than dogs about
what they will eat. Even small amounts of chocolate can cause
adverse reactions. Reactions can include nervous system
stimulation, tachycardia (fast heart rate), weakness, vomiting
and diarrhea, restlessness, irregular heartbeat, hyperactivity,
and frequent urination. These signs usually appear about 4-5
hours after ingestion. More severe signs of chocolate toxicity
include tremors, seizures, and death. Clinical signs may not
appear for several hours after ingestion and complete recovery
after veterinary care may take several days.
Toxicity studies have shown that compared to other species,
dogs are unusually sensitive to theobromine. This is because they
have a low rate of theobromine metabolism, which causes
theobromine to stay in the blood stream for a longer time. After
a single dose, the half-life of theobromine in adult dogs is 17.5
hours, compared to six hours in human subjects. This may also be
the case in cats.
If presented with an opportunity, most pets will tend to
over-consume chocolate. For this reason, all foods containing
chocolate should be safely stored away in areas inaccessible to
pets. If your pet accidentally ingests chocolate, consult your
veterinarian immediately for advice.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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