When consumed in chocolate, theobromine can cause gastrointestinal, heart and neurological problems, including: vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, restlessness, muscle spasms, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, seizures, and potentially death. Even small amounts of the substance can dogs eat poppy seeds lead to hypoglycemia, liver failure, seizures, and possibly even death in dogs. By now, you’ve probably heard dogs should not eat chocolate. How Long Can It Take For Dogs To Show Signs Of Chocolate Poisoning? The reason some dogs can eat chocolate with few side effects while others almost die is based on three factors: the type of chocolate, the weight of your dog, and the amount consumed. The weight of your dog and the amount of chocolate he eats determines the side effects that occur. If you know or suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, please call a veterinarian immediately. Dogs will not likely show signs of chocolate poisoning right after they have eaten chocolate.
Theobromine is also suspected to induce right atrial cardiomyopathy after long term exposure at levels equivalent to approximately 15 g/kg (0.24 oz/lb) of dark chocolate per day. Can Baby Dogs (Puppies) Eat Chocolate? Most pet owners will know that dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate. Use whichever one will respond more quickly and provide them with the information from step one. But did you know that different types of chocolate can be more dangerous than others? As seen in the chart below, theobromine content varies greatly among chocolate types. In fact, it could take as long as 6 to 12 hours for the symptoms of chocolate poisoning to start in dogs. Yes, dogs can eat a little bit of chocolate. Start by mixing in just a little adult dog food into the puppy food, and increase the proportion of adult food a bit more every day. It took more than 20 years to convince the author of Mary Poppins to sell the movie rights. You’ll have up to 2 years of puppydom and up to another 13 or so years of adult dog. Like we have mentioned earlier in this article, it is important to have at least some idea about your dog’s situation.
As we have mentioned previously, it is crucial that you follow their instructions exactly no matter what they may be. However, they may have you perform some emergency pet CPR if the situation is very serious. The next step is to either call your emergency vet or a poison hotline. Your vet could give you different instructions during the phone call depending on your dog’s situation. They will then give you important information and give you instructions as to what to do next. If the vet has deemed the situation to not be an emergency, they will likely just instruct you to monitor your pet closely. Pet waste should be cleaned up as quickly as possible. However, the situation is much more serious if your pet is showing signs of poisoning. Why is some chocolate more toxic to dogs? When it comes to dogs ingesting chocolate, the darker the chocolate, the darker the situation, but why? Even if the quantity of chocolate ingested is not toxic, dogs can still become ill and develop pancreatitis from chocolate’s high fat content. And chocolate-coated coffee beans are very dangerous, containing very high levels of methylxanthine. For example, white chocolate is unlikely to cause methylxanthine toxicity; but the high fat content can cause problems with the pancreas.
In cases where high or potentially fatal doses are ingested, prompt intervention is key to successful treatment. Methylxanthines are metabolised by the liver and doses as low as 20mg of toxin per Kg of bodyweight can result in signs of toxicity. Mild gastrointestinal symptoms can happen at doses as small as 20 mg/kg, and severe symptoms, such as cardiac arrhythmias and seizures, can occur at 40-60 mg/kg. Because you, as a dog parent, can never be sure what kind of chocolate is really in those treats, it’s safest for your dog that you steer clear of all of them. It is possible that your dog can get in to some chocolate without you even knowing about it. This is why calling your vet as soon as possible after your dog has eaten chocolate is so important. Scientists are not sure why but currents are extremely toxic to our furry friends and can even cause kidney problems, which can be fatal. It’s important to know that the toxic effects of chocolate are not all equal. As a result, it is important for dog owners to know the signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs. There is food and shampoo made for dogs with skin sensitivity to make them feel their best at all times.