What to do if your dog eats chocolate.
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs so you need to act fast to prevent serious injury or death.
What happens if my dog eats chocolate?
Chocolate contains elements that are toxic to dogs. Depending on the size of your dog and how much chocolate it has eaten, your dog can experience symptoms that range from getting sick, diarrhea, seizures, and even death.
Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine that’s extremely dangerous for dogs to eat. As humans, we are able to process theobromine quickly, so it isn’t dangerous for us to eat. Unfortunately for our dogs, theobromine takes a lot longer to process and as result, it can be lethal for your dog to eat.
How much chocolate can kill my dog?
It all depends on how much chocolate was consumed and the size of your dog. Use the chocolate toxicity calculator below from vets-now.com to see how dangerous it is for your dog. For example, a small dog that eats 2.5 chocolate bars could be lethal and you need to make the dog sick straight away.
What to do if your dog eats chocolate?
If you believe your dog ate chocolate, call your vet immediately or call the Pet Poison Helpline 855-213-6680 for advice. Based on your dog’s size and the amount and type of chocolate consumed, your vet may recommend that you monitor your dog and call back if their condition gets worse. In more serious cases, your vet may ask you to bring the dog into them. If your dog consumed the chocolate less than two hours previous, your vet may induce vomiting.
How to prevent your dog from eating chocolate?
Although large dogs may not have an issue eating small amounts of chocolate, experts recommend that dog parents keep all chocolate out of reach and safely stored to avoid any future accidents. To prevent your dog from eating chocolate you should make sure that all chocolate items, including cocoa powder or hot chocolate powder, are stored out of reach. Make sure that the kids know how dangerous it can be and avoid leaving chocolate on tables or worktops. Easter can be the most dangerous time as an easter egg can kill a small dog within a few hours.
In the event of an accident or illness, it’s important to have financial protection for your dog if emergency vet visits are needed. Dog insurance costs an average of $35 per month according to Forbes.com and this can provide a good level of cover to protect your pet when they need it most.