How Much Chocolate Can A Dog Eat Before Getting Sick

The approximate amount of chocolate a 20 lb dog has to eat to become sick.

How much chocolate can a dog eat before getting sick. Sometimes however depending on the type of chocolate the amount eaten and the size of the dog only mild symptoms are seen. So a 20 pound dog has to eat about 250 pounds of white chocolate before getting sick but only about 2 ounces of baker s chocolate can cause toxicity in the same dog. Please note symptoms typically occur between four and 24 hours after your dog has eaten chocolate though assessment and. Chocolate is toxic to dogs as it contains a chemical called theobromine which can cause elevated heart rates increased blood pressure and even seizures.

A 10 pound dog can easily eat a pound of chocolate cocoa shell mulch. They also don t know when they re full wismer says. Since an average hershey s milk chocolate bar is 1 55 ounces consuming even one chocolate bar can have serious consequences especially for small dogs. Think twice before you spread cocoa shell mulch on.

It depends on several factors. Some dogs can eat chocolate and then appear perfectly fine. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which is poisonous to dogs. Chocolate can be very toxic to your dog but the amount and the type of chocolate is critical in assessing whether or not you have to panic.

Lighter chocolates like milk chocolate have much lower concentrations of methylxanthines. As a vet i have seen many dogs get sick from eating chocolate. How much chocolate can a dog eat. As a veterinarian i get the most calls by far during the year end holiday season and easter and halloween about chocolate ingestion by pets.

And unlike most cats which don t have a sweet tooth dogs will eat almost anything. The approximate amount of chocolate a 10 lb dog has to eat to become sick. This means that a dog could get sick or die from eating a small amount of baker s chocolate but eating an equivalent amount of milk chocolate would produce no symptoms or mild symptoms. Chad harris chief of staff at north austin animal hospital.

When a dog eats chocolate it is possible that the dog can get very sick and need to see the vet. Eating a crumb of chocolate cake or a. Dogs who have eaten chocolate must be treated immediately as the larger the amount of chocolate and the longer it is in their system the more danger there is for your pet. If it looks like your dog potentially could have ingested enough chocolate to make him sick treatment is the safest way to proceed.

Chocolate is toxic to dogs. If a dog ingests chocolate and does not show clinical signs it s simply because they did not ingest an amount of methlyzanthines the active ingredients in caffeine high enough to cross the toxic threshold says dr.