re: dangerous holiday food for dogs, is chocolate ACTUALLy dangerous to them?? i used to ride horses at a farm and they would give their dogs chocolate, and when I asked about it they said they ate it all the time and nothing ever happened. have there actually been studies on this or is it just a myth??
Chocolate is absolutely toxic to dogs (and cats). And yes, there have been studies; not that they're enough to convince some pet owners considering the numbers of dogs that have to be rushed to the vet every year after ingesting chocolate. Chocolate has even been considered for use by the USDA in poisoning coyotes.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which humans and rodents can metabolize very quickly. Cats and dogs, however, metabolize it much slower and have difficulty getting it out of their system. Theobromine can kill a dog with doses as low as 52 mg per pound of body weight.
Obviously, what some dog owners don't get is that the toxicity comes in at certain dosages with different types of chocolate. So while an ounce of baker's chocolate will probably kill a 10-pound dog, an ounce of milk chocolate might just give it a mild upset stomach. Five ounces of milk chocolate, however, might be enough to be fatal at that weight.
Signs of theobromine poisoning in dogs:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Increased body temperature
- Increased reflex responses
- Muscle rigidity
- Rapid breathing
- Increased heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Seizures
- Advanced signs (cardiac failure, weakness, and coma)
Don't risk your dog's life. Don't feed them or let them have access to chocolate. And please, DO YOUR RESEARCH before feeding your pet anything new.
More information: WebMD, PetMD's chocolate toxicity calculator