Can dogs eat chocolate?
While dogs might love the delicious sweet taste of chocolate as much as humans, it’s important to remember that chocolate is poisonous to dogs and could make them very unwell. So no matter how much your dog begs for a piece of chocolate, remember dogs and chocolate don’t mix.
Here are the reasons why chocolate is bad for dogs:
- Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine (a bit like caffeine), which is toxic to dogs. Dogs aren’t able to break down, or metabolise, theobromine like humans can.
- Theobromine mainly affects a dog’s guts, heart, central nervous system and kidneys.
- Darker, purer varieties of chocolate tend to have the highest levels of theobromine but it’s also found in milk chocolate.
- Symptoms of dog chocolate poisoning include vomiting (which may include blood), diarrhoea, restlessness and hyperactivity, rapid breathing, muscle tension, incoordination, increased heart rate and seizures.
- The effect and signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs depend on the amount eaten and the size of the breed.
What to do if your dog eats chocolate?
Urgent treatment may be needed if your dog has eaten chocolate so please contact your vet as soon as possible for advice or, out of hours, your nearest Vets Now pet emergency clinic immediately. Our chocolate toxicity calculator is a useful guide to help you find out if your dog has eaten a toxic dose.
Take note of your dog’s weight, the type of chocolate and how much chocolate they’ve eaten and when they ate it. Take the wrapper to the vet if you can. This information will help the vet to work out whether your dog has eaten a toxic amount of chocolate and how to treat them.
Our advice is not to give chocolate to your dog as even a small quantity can be dangerous, depending on the weight of your dog.
Theobromine doses in the region of 100-150 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight are toxic to dogs.
For example, if you have a Labrador weighing 30kg, as little as 3000mg of theobromine could be fatal.
You’ll find 3000mg of theobromine in one 500 gram bar of dark or 170 grams of baking chocolate, which is often less than a single bar.
However, for West Highland Terriers weighing just 10kg these amounts should be reduced by two-thirds.
You can use our interactive dog chocolate calculator to find out if your dog has eaten a poisonous amount.
What does chocolate do to dogs?
Chocolate poisoning mainly affects the heart, central nervous system and kidneys. Symptoms of dogs eating chocolate usually occur between four and 24 hours after your dog has eaten chocolate.
The effect and signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs depends on the amount eaten and the size of the breed. For example, a Labrador-sized dog that’s eaten 200g of milk chocolate is likely to have a stomach upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea. At 500g, it’s likely that cardiovascular problems and increased heart rate will be seen. Eating 750g may result in seizures.
What should I do if I don’t know how much chocolate my dog has eaten?
It can be hard to tell exactly how much chocolate your dog has eaten and the amount of caffeine and theobromine will vary due to growing conditions, cocoa bean sources and variety. It’s always best to err on the side of caution and contact your vet for advice if you’re concerned.
Can dogs have chocolate?
Our advice is not to give your dog any chocolate, but if they have managed to eat some you need to know how heavy your dog is. Then try to work out whether they have swallowed a toxic dose. Our chocolate calculator can help you.