dogs

[x3laurynx3]

can dogs die from eating chocolate?

[Clanad]

Chocolate has the potential for severely affecting dogs, but unlikely in normal circumstances. Read here...

[Kimmiebear]

The short of it is yes, the long of it depends on how much they eat and what what kind of chocolate it is. The darker the chocolate the worse the effects.
If you catch them in the act INDUCE VOMITING IMMEDIATELY regardless of how much you think they have eaten! A high concentration salt solution or hydrogen peroxide works the best. Give lots of water once the vomiting has stopped.
A small amount of chocolate won't usually harm them, but chronic chocolate eaters are much more likely to develop kidney or liver failure.
Long and short: no chocolate for dogs.

[wolf63]

Before it became common knowledge that there was a potential problem with chocolate I was talking to my vet about it.

He said that most dogs have no problem eating chocolate, but for some it is deadly. But there is no way of telling if you are going to have a problem or not and so it is best to avoid it.

My dog had one Yorkie bar a week back in the '80s. It was the only chocolate that he couldn't swallow whole - he was a GSD/bull mastiff/pony

[pingping]

apparently grapes are also toxic to dogs!

[genius101]

Chocolate is also bad for little hamsters!

I gave my hamster chocolate and it died the next day....

However I know with hamsters you can buy special hamster choc from pet shops so it must be different stuff.

In my opinion pets should not have chocolate - why waste it on them when you can eat it all

[sako 243]

as has been mentioned the kind of chocolate makes a big difference and the darker the worse.i have working gundogs and after a hard session i feed them half a mars bar.this gives them a good boost with the glucose ect.this was recommended by a vet who also has gundogs.

[robotics]

http://www.mygermanshepherd.co.uk/forums/showt hread.php?t=85

[Blinky]

I would have thought that inducing vomating would be a bad thing to do?? The very strong medical advice on bleach and other things that are bad could possibly be swallowed by humans always warns to not induce vomating so i would think that the same would go for animals?

My dog would sneakily get her teeth into chocolate at any opportunity, not by our choice, once even breaking into a nearly half a box of quality street when we were all in bed and she was never ill!

[rockyracoon]

pingping, I had no idea grapes were dangerous to dogs, mine sits with my little boy and stuffs a bagful with him. I've just googled it and bloody hell the amount of stuff harmful to dogs is amazing. Will have to be careful in future.

[drestie]

Blinky, whether or not to induce vomiting depends on what toxic substance was ingested.

From the top of my head:
If it is a caustic substance such as bleach or acid, vomiting will cause lots of damage as the substance passes back through the esophagus again. In these cases, activated charcoal is given to neutralise the substance in the stomach.

But with chocolate, it will not do damage on its way up and out, so inducing vomiting is the best thing to do, to get it out ASAP.