Chocolate is widely enjoyed and a favorite with almost everyone, regarded as a yummy treat to people of any age. Though it may be a great treat for us, it is a big no-no for your dogs. Chocolate is said to be toxic for your dogs. Chocolates are not toxic for humans because the way we digest theobromine (the chemical component in chocolate) is much better than dogs and the half life of theobromine in a dog is 17.5 hours which is a long period. The toxic compound, theobromine becomes toxic if consumed between 100 to 150 milligrams per kilogram of the body weight. But there are other factors linked to it like the weight of the dog, the chocolate concentration and so on. Milk chocolate contains approximately 44 milligrams of theobromine per oz, semi sweet chocolate contains about 150 milligrams of theobromine per oz, baker’s chocolate contains 390 milligrams per oz and dry cocoa powder with 800 milligrams per oz. If you have to calculate the toxic dose as 100 milligrams per kilogram, for milk chocolate it will be 1 ounce per 1 pound body weight. So in case of semisweet chocolate, it will amount to 1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight and for baker’s chocolate; it will be 1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are forms of chocolate that are most toxic as they contain theobromine ten times more than what it is in milk chocolate. The chocolate in milk chocolate is diluted and thus, will take larger amounts of consumption to get toxic for your dog and even if your dog licks a small portion of the icing on a chocolate cake, it can cause him to fall ill. There is no harm in feeding your dog milk chocolate once in a while as a treat, but this is not advisable for the simple reason that it could create a problem if the dog develops a liking towards it as they have a tendancy to get a sweet tooth. It may not always be easy to keep foods away or secure enough to prevent your dog from getting to them and it could move on to eat more concentrated forms of chocolates. Your dog may show signs of nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea, an increased amount of thirst, frequent urination in some cases, muscle spasms or seizures if toxicated by consuming chocolate. Your dog may suffer from diarrhea 12 to 24 hours after eating milk chocolate and steps should be taken to ensure that your dog does not get dehydrated. In case of severe symptoms, rush your pet to the clinic immediately.

Chocolate Poisoning in Pets:

Few among us can resist the temptation of chocolates and our pets quite alike. In the context of human consumption research has shown that chocolate does offer some peculiar but definite health benefits, when consumed in moderation. When you consider the health of your pets however it would be wise to consider the fact that although they may be good for us, chocolates can be quite toxic and even fatal.

Dogs are possibly the most frequently affected pet, because they do tend to develop a sweet tooth. Although most of us are familiar with the idea of chocolate being toxic to dogs, they are not the only species of pets that are affected adversely. The reason we’re more familiar with this idea probably has more to do with the fact that dogs are one of the most common pets and we do tend to pander to their tastes to a large extent. Cats, which are probably just as common as dogs as pets, are a lot more picky and independent when it comes to food choices and eating habits. This may explain why the problem is not as common or well known among cat owners. Cats too can have a sweet tooth and are just as susceptible, as are almost all other pet species.

Chocolates are prepared from beans of the cacao tree, and an important component of chocolate is theobromine, which is a toxic compound. Caffeine is another toxin that we are more familiar with that is also present in chocolate, but this is in much smaller amounts as compared to theobromine. Both caffeine and theobromine are classified as drugs in the class called methylxanines.

To give you an idea of the toxicity of chocolate, here are some of the effects of these toxins:

• They act as a stimulant to the central nervous system,
• As a stimulant to the cardiovascular system,
• A mild effect of increasing blood pressure,
• They may also cause nausea and vomiting.

Toxicity levels in chocolates vary greatly, with unsweetened chocolate containing up to ten times the amount of theobromine as compared to milk chocolates. White chocolate contains negligible amount of either toxins. Your veterinarian or animal welfare societies would be able to provide you with specific levels of toxicity and dosage that is threatening. It would be safe to say however that it is best to completely avoid feeding your pet any chocolate. It should also be pointed out that smaller pet species would generally have lower tolerance levels.