ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Easter and Chocolate Is Dangerous for Dogs.

Updated on October 3, 2022
WorkAtHomeMums profile image

I am a website developer, eBay trading assistant, work-at-home mum, writer and crafter.

Why Chocolate Is Poisonous For Dogs
Why Chocolate Is Poisonous For Dogs

Symptoms to watch out for

If you suspect that your pet pooch has eaten chocolate, or witnessed it for yourself there are a few key steps that you should take

In the first 2-4 hours, watch out for:

  • Any evidence of vomiting or diarrhea
  • Signs that your dog is unusually hyperactive
  • Increased urination
  • Restlessness or excessive panting (associated with the increase in heart rate)

More severe signs are obvious seizures, tremors or moments of unconsciousness.

Why is chocolate dangerous for dogs?

Why is chocolate so dangerous for dogs but not humans?

The reason is due to the existence of a substance called theobromine.

Theobromine is a naturally occurring stimulant which is present in the cocoa bean. In addition to the presence of caffeine, these stimulants have an affect on the central nervous system of not just dogs, but many household animals including birds and cats.

Put simply, stimulants and dogs are a dangerous mix.

Theobromine can also affect the heart muscles of our loving pets and can remain in their bloodstream for an extended period of time because it metabolises very slowly.

Whilst chocolate is available all year round, this message is of particular importance around the Easter period when chocolate is in abundance and more attention needs to be given to children with chocolate when around pets.

Chocolate is not just dangerous, it is considered poisonous for dogs, cats and other animals.

What amount of chocolate is toxic for dogs?

There are many differing opinions on what dose, or volume of chocolate consumed, is too much. It differ greatly depending on the breed of your dog and its size. For example a small dog who may consume a small amount of chocolate could experience a far greater reaction than a large dog who consumer the same amount. This however is just a rough guide.

It therefore is understood that there is no amount of chocolate which is an acceptable amount.

How your pet dog reacts to eating chocolate is also unique, just like humans react differently to different foods and ingredients. Whether the dog has a greater sensitivity to theobromine is not a known fact.

Furthermore, the levels of theobromine can vary greatly depending on the type of chocolate so this is another factor in this ever so complicated calculation.

White chocolate has the lowest levels of theobromine in milligrams per ounce, with milk chocolate and dark chocolate showing far greater levels. Cocoa powder in its rawest form has extreme levels.

Chocolate is an Antioxidant for Humans

Whilst it is poisonous for our pampered pets, Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate has incredible health benefits, an an antioxidant and is wonderful for making incredible desserts.

Why chocolate is poisonous for dogs
Why chocolate is poisonous for dogs

Chocolate is not only harmful for dogs. It may also affect your pets in your home including cats, birds or reptiles.

Keep all chocolate, and chocolate-coated treats, particularly at easter, well out of reach.

Steps to take if your dog eats chocolate

If you are made aware that your dog (or family pet) has consumed chocolate of any kind or size, the first step to take is to contact your local vet or dog hospital. Immediately.

They are trained to ask you a series of questions which will help them determine the next action required. Such questions will most likely include:

  • How much chocolate was consumed.
  • What kind of chocolate was consumed.

    • Type of chocolate - milk, dark or white
    • Did it have nuts? Did it have a filling?
  • Dog breed, size and weight.
  • Any allergies, current medications or known health problems
  • Current observed behaviours - i.e. whether they are acting normal, a little out of sorts, drinking more, etc
  • Changes noticed since chocolate ingested

Based on this information, they will make an educated decision about what to do next. In some cases they may advise you to keep a close eye on them for the next 24 hours and they will give you some pointers to watch out for, or in the extreme they may ask you to bring your dog into see them for further examination and tests.


Carob: Dog-Safe Chocolate

Once a dog get a taste for chocolate they can all too easily enjoy the flavour and become addicted. Even if you see your dog eating a little piece of chocolate and notice absolutely zero side effects, don't think that it is OK to continue to treat him.

It is however, safe to give a dog carob and you can readily find in pet stores dog treats made from carob. If you want to treat your dog with something special you there are many 'recipes' available and even cookie cutters to make dog bone shapes.

Chocolate is dangerous for dogs, cats and other household pets. The impact it can have on their little immune systems is typically unknown and one piece of knowledge we really hope to never want to find out. If your pet does get hold of a chocolate Easter egg, chocolate cake or anything with cocoa, just take a moment to observe, collect all the information you can and make a quick call to your local animal doctor who will professionally advise the next steps.

Let's all be vigilant and keep our pampered pets safe at all times of the year, including Easter.

All Hubs are Original Material by 'Work At Home Mums' ©


This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2012 WorkAtHomeMums

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)