HELP!!!!! Dogs and chocolate!

Hi guys.

I can't remember where I read something about dogs and chocolate. I know its not good for dogs....

Luna has just ate about 75-80 grams of Rittersport peppermint (42%). I called my vet who told me, nothing would happen if its only this once.

How much is too much?

Jeanette this was posted by Shadowboxer:
Chocolate contains caffeine & theobromine, stimulants which affect the central nervous system & the heart. Milk chocolate - severe signs of toxicity occur when 2oz per 1lb of bodyweight is ingested. Dark chocolate - severe signs of toxicity occur when 0.3oz per 1 lb of bodyweight is ingested. Chocolate is not only fattening, it can be fatal to your dog.

How much is 0.3 oz? I know 1 oz is 28.4 grams

just an article i found:

DOGS AND CHOCOLATE Danger


Give chocolate to loved ones, and you could end up poisoning them. That is, if the loved one is your pet dog.

Even small amounts of Theo bromine, an ingredient in chocolate, can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. Larger doses can be fatal. While most pet owners expect a dog to develop an upset stomach after eating a large amount of chocolate, few realize its danger or toxic potential.

The lethal dose of Theo bromine depends on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate. Ounce for ounce, baking chocolate has six to nine times as much of the substance as milk chocolate does.

Estimates of the smallest amounts that can be fatal are:
4 ounces of milk chocolate or 1/2 ounce of baking chocolate for small dogs, such as Chihuahuas and toy poodles.
8 ounces of milk chocolate or 2 ounces of baking chocolate for medium-sized dogs, like cocker spaniels and dachshunds.
8 ounces of milk chocolate or 4 ounces of baking chocolate for large dogs, including collies and Labrador retrievers.
Cats have much different eating habits and seldom are poisoned by chocolate.
While a very small amount of chocolate may not harm some dogs, it's safest to avoid giving it to them at all. If an accident occurs, a veterinarian should be consulted. Treatment may require inducing vomiting, stabilizing the animal's heartbeat and respiration, controlling seizures and slowing the absorption of Theo bromine. If the animal already is comatose, its stomach may need to be pumped.

Theo bromine does not completely leave the dogs system, as do some foods, my research informs me that Theo Bromine has a half life of 7 hours. This means that half of it has gone in 7 hours; in 14 hours another half of the half that was remaining will have gone. We can go on and on forever and ever getting less and less, to be silly about it, it never gets to zero!

There always has to be something left for there to be a half of something. Its like a radio wave/signal travelling into space, it will reduce by half over a given distance, it repeats this time and again, but it never gets to zero. Trying to find it after a time will be difficult then imposssible of course, as with Theo bromine.
So we have a time factor to consider also apart from a safe amount.

The Theo bromine in other sweets and biscuits, cakes, coated in chocolate or with chocolate chips etc. will be less of course, but its wise to avoid all these things.
Health food shops stock, none chocolate choc drops for humans; I am told these are fine, but, its good practise to ask for the ingredient list to check for Theo bromine and then ask your VET. And remember ingredients can change without notice.
As in all case of animal safety, I cant say this enough, ask your vet, this page is no exception, don’t take my word as being accurate. All dogs can be different, as are humans; it may be there is a dog out there that could be killed by the smallest dose of chocolate. This page does not suggest that any dose is safe, on all matters covered here; please ask your vet who is your correct authority.



GOOD BOY CHOC DROPS
(Branded choc drops for dogs sold in pet shops)

Now to good boy choc drops.

I wrote to Good Boy because of they do not state on their packets of choc drops what the full ingredients are.
I suggested that they made it quite plain because I have heard it suggested that good boy choc drops are possibly normal choc rejects.
The packet labels did nothing to dispel this rumour.
After two mails good boy wrote back and made the following declaration.........

Dear John,

Thank you for your concern regarding the Choc Drops.

We have forwarded this information up to our marketing manager for their Consideration. There are no ingredients in the Good Boy Choc Drops that are toxic to dogs. The ingredients are: Sugar, Soy Flour, Cocoa Powder, DiCalcium PHosphate, Glucose Syrup, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Panthothentic Acid.

If you have any further questions or concerns please contact our Internet Customer Service Department at 1-800-381-7179, or via email, at your convenience.

Sincerely,
Nick
Internet Customer Service

I have investigated further as cocoa powder is listed above and cocoa does contain theo bromine which if enough is consumed is toxic.

I wrote a letter to a vet, the mail I sent and the reply is below.......

Dear Sir, I am sorry to intrude on your time, if however you have a moment and are inclined to help me,,, could you tell me if the chocolate sold in pet shops, like good boy choc drops, still has Theo bromine in it.

I received the following reply........

I'm afraid it does. Chocolate can still be toxic to dogs because of the Theo bromine included in it. Although most commercial chocolate has such low levels, large amounts of chocolate need to be ingested before clinical signs or illness are seen.
The safest way to avoid toxicity is to avoid giving Chocolate to your dog. I hope this helps.
Vets Name withheld.

dont be scared... jus found this info


Dogs and chocolate
Everyone has heard that dogs and chocolate can be a deadly combination so what should you do if your dog eats chocolate?

It seems that chocolate makes the world go around and in almost every household you will find this delicious delicacy. Eating chocolate seems to be the great American pastime. It gives us a sense of well being and is a favorite comfort food. In over sixty percent of the homes that have this delicious treat available ,you will also find a hungry and curious dog.

Unfortunately that combination does not mix well. So what can chocolate do to your dog, and why is it considered poison?


Dogs and puppies do not have the ability as we humans do to digest a simple chemical found in chocolate called "Theobromine". When theobromine is ingested by an animal it effects are horrific on the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. This effect of the chemical has a very harsh effect on the animals body causing severe trauma and often times death.


How much chocolate is to much ? It is important to know just how much chocolate can produce toxic effects on your dog and that amount is one hundred to one hundred and fifty miligrams.That measurement to most does not mean much so to simplify it if you have a twenty pound dog that means to reach the level of becoming poisoned they have to eat approximately ten ounces depending on th type of chocolate. Bakers chocolate and unsweetened chocolate are harsher types for any dog to eat only because the chocolate is purer therefore they contain a higher dosage of Theobromine than the regular candy bar type chocolate.


If you suspect your animal has eaten chocolate what signs do you look for? Toxic signs occur quickly so even if there is any question if your animal has consumed chocolate or not, take the animal to the vet. Do not wait to see if the animal will be alright because any delay in treatment can be devastating. Your dog, if untreated, can quickly go into convulsions, have arrythmia, stop breathing and go into a coma.

First your dog may start vomiting on its own. If not you can induce vomiting with a hydrogen peroxide solution of half peroxide and half water.

The animal will also experience severe diarreah which can cause the animal to dehydrate quickly.


Seek medical help immediately. Be sure to take to the vet the unfinished chocolate if any is left, and any wrappings from the chocolate. This will help the vet to identify the type of chocolate and the concentration of the candy.


The vet will begin treatment and induce vomiting if vomiting has not already occured. Usually the vet will use activated charcoal to induce. The vet will also start an IV for hydration and also to administer medication. The vet will also administer anti-seizure medication because animals that have ingested chocolate have a ninety eight percent chance of having severe seizures. If your animal is having extreme symptoms or cardiac problems he will easily be able to give those cardiac medications through the IV. The stay after this treatment in an easy case is usually two days, although in more extreme instances the hospital stay for your animal could be weeks.


The best medicine in these cases is prevention.If sweets such as chocolate are a frequent snack in your household take care to remove them from anywhere your pet happens to be traveling in your home.An ounce of prevention "is" in this case, worth a pound of cure.

Jeanette, Star got a hold of a 500g easter egg. Our vet told us she would be OK. Just look out for signs like increased heart rate and excitable behaviour and if it got out of hand to go to the vet. But that she would be OK

Was it dark or milk chocolate?

Jeanette don't worry I am sure Luna will be fine.When my son was little Bunny a Min Schnauzer (so a small dog)got into the sitting room while everyone was out and ate four large easter eggs,most of the paper and the chocs inside!!! No ill effects not even sick and she lived to the age of 17 Ps this happened 23 years ago before most people were aware choc was toxic to dogs.

Jeanette forgot to add, Star was not even sick, just slept for hours and did not get the runs.

Hi Sue, Carole and Jenny

Just called vet no 2. He said that these Rittersport doesnt contain that much chocolate, and that she would need at least 200 grams of dark chocolate before being in danger.

I'm to feed her a bit extra and keep an eye on her for 24 hours. And that she might be a bit drousy (sp?)

It was plain chocolate with peppermint filling (42%).....

I was just taking Bella home for a couple of hours and had forgotten the choccie was on my pc desk..... Grrrr. Think I'm gonna give her some lunch...

Thanks guys for being there.....

thats good news Jeanette. Star slept for the rest of the day after eating the egg.

When she did poo it smelt of chocolate