How Chocolate Kills Dogs

Chocolate kills dogs. Every holiday, articles and blogs cover that. Some may add that it is theobromine and caffeine in the chocolate that kills them. What is theobromine and how does it cause death?

Theobromine is a type of methylxanthine. Caffeine and the asthma medication theophylline are two other common methylxanthines. Theophylline is a prescription medication for asthma and is not used as much now that there are inhaled corticosteroids. For the purposes of this article, only caffeine and theobromine will be discussed.

Dogs that consume caffeine and theobromine, which are both present in chocolate, cause their central nervous systems to be overstimulated. The body prepares to flee or fight by throwing the central nervous system in high gear. This is helpful when outrunning a predator, or chasing prey, but can cause problems if over done. The blood vessels constrict in some areas of the body, the heart beats very fast, pupils dilate, the muscles begin to seizure, the heart gives out and the dog dies.

The amount of caffeine and theobromine varies by the type of chocolate. White chocolate has very little of either substance. Milk chocolate has about 6 mg of caffeine and between 44-56 mg of theobromine. Baking chocolate, on the other hand, has 35-47 mg of caffeine and 393 mg of theobromine. Less than two ounces of milk chocolate can be fatal to a dog or just one square of baking chocolate.

If you catch your dog eating chocolate, contact your veterinarian immediately. They can evaluate the situation and advise you on a course of action. Suppose you do not actually see the dog eat the chocolate? The symptoms of chocolate toxicity are vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, frequent urination, hyperactivity, rapid heartbeat, tremors, seizures, weakness, then coma and death.

Your veterinarian will probably induce vomiting, then give the dog activated charcoal and saline to keep the dog from absorbing any more of the chocolate. The dog is catherized to keep the urine flowing out as the system is flushed with fluids. The dog will be in the hospital for a few days, depending on how quickly you caught the problem and got him to the vet.

As you can see, treating chocolate poisoning is expensive and may fail to save your dog. Preventing chocolate poisoning is much better for all involved. Keep the chocolate put up where you dog cannot reach it. Think of it as more for you.