Chocolate Toxicity and Your Dog

Almost everyone knows that dogs are not supposed to have chocolate, but not a lot of people know exactly why.  Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs in amounts of around 100-150 mg/kg.

Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as:

• 1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate (which contains about 45 mg of theobromine per oz)
• 1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate (which contains about 150 mg of theobromine per oz)
• 1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker’s chocolate (which contains about 390 mg of theobromine per oz)

So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker’s chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems.  Depending on on size of your dog how much and what type of chocolate was consumed, you can possibly just expect diarrhea in some cases, but other cases may require immediate medical attention.

So what does all this mean?  Well basically it still means don’t let your dogs have chocolate, and still consult with your vet if your dog has consumed chocolate.  But at the same time, be aware of what type of chocolate and how much was consumed by your dog; these two factors will give you and your vet valuable information.

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