Can Chocolate Kill Dogs

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Can chocolate really kill dogs?

Want to give your dog hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures? Put it into a coma? Or simply kill it? If so, feed it chocolate this Christmas - ideally posh dark chocolate containing particularly high levels of theobromine.

Theobromine is a bitter alkaloid of the cocoa plant found in chocolate. Although harmless to humans, it can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions and even death in animals that digest theobromine slowly, such as dogs. The lethal dosage is between 250 and 500mg per kg of body weight. So if Rover's a chihuahua, that chocolate button will be more toxic than if he were a rottweiler.

Usually, the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. A 40g bar of Green & Black's organic dark 70% chocolate, for instance, contains 48mg theobromine - not enough to kill, perhaps, but enough to induce what vets call "digestive issues", not to mention dehydration, excitability, and a slow heart rate. White chocolate contains lower proportions of theobromine.

The RSPCA has long campaigned against feeding dogs chocolate - especially at Christmas, when tree decorations, chocolate boxes and unsuspecting owners provide lots of opportunities for theobromine poisoning. Last year the Veterinary Poisons Information Service received 790 calls about chocolate poisoning; this year the figure is already at 844. Steve Cheetham, RSPCA head of veterinary services, says: "Special chocolate drops are available from pet shops if you want to give your dog a chocolate treat." These are made of carob and so contain no theobromine.

If caught early, theobromine poisoning is treatable. Ask yourself this, though: do you really want to spend Christmas inducing your dog to vomit and/or feeding him charcoal slurry, which absorbs the toxic material? The answer is no.

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs; however, the hazard of chocolate to your dog depends on the type of chocolate, the amount consumed and your dog's size. In large enough amounts, chocolate and cocoa products can kill your dog.

Why not chocolate?

• The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it much more slowly, allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system.


• A large dog can consume more chocolate than a small dog before suffering ill effects.


• A small amount of chocolate will probably only give your dog an upset stomach with vomiting or diarrhea.


• With large amounts, theobromine can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack. The onset of theobromine poisoning is usually marked by severe hyperactivity.

The usual treatment for theobromine poisoning is to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. If you are worried or suspect that your dog may have eaten a large quantity of chocolate and they are showing any of the signs listed above, call your veterinarian immediately.

If you have a small dog that has eaten a box of chocolates, you need to call and go to your veterinarian right away. Do not wait.

Different chocolate types have different theobromine levels. Cocoa, cooking chocolate and dark chocolate contain the highest levels, while milk chocolate and white chocolate have the lowest. If you’re dealing with any quantity of dark or bitter chocolate, err on the side of caution. The high level of theobromine in dark chocolate means it takes only a very small amount to poison a dog. Less than an ounce of dark chocolate may be enough to poison a 44-pound dog.

Of course, never consider chocolate as a reward. Always provide healthy Hill’s® Ideal Balance™ or Science Diet® Treats or simply reward your dog with lots of love and attention.