Toxin Tuesdays: Chocolate

No, just no! chocolate is not good for out pets! (Image Source)

Chocolate can be very tempting for our furry friends! It is one of the most common toxin exposures we see in practice. Many households have chocolate so most pets have easy access to this product and if left alone will find a way to eat it. The good news is the vast majority of owners are aware that chocolate is not good for their pets, but may not know what to do in case of accidental exposure. Today we will look at the different types of chocolate and what chocolate toxicity can look like.

 

These chocolates would tempt anyone! Keep them in a safe place! (Image Source)

To begin, we first need to realize that there are many different types of chocolate products out there. They can range from white chocolate (which is mostly sugar and not any real chocolate) all the way to baking cocoa which is unsweetened and probably the worst chocolate product our pets could eat. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate are somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. Also remember some products that we think have chocolate in them, may have minimal amounts. For example Reese’s pieces, have very small amounts of chocolate with more peanut butter present. Noting the potential amount and type of chocolate ingested is crucial to treatment and outcome.

 

Holidays like Halloween and Easter show a rise in pet chocolate exposure (Image Source)

Why is chocolate so dangerous to our dogs but not to us? The culprits are caffeine and theobromine, both of which are found in varying amounts in all forms of chocolate. Both are metabolized in the liver and can therefore take a toll on this very important organ. Since they are absorbed almost every system without your pets body can be affected by chocolate.

 

(Image Source)

Depending on the amount absorbed the signs may be mild gastro-intestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhea. If it is a large amount of milk chocolate, or a smaller amount of the more potent dark chocolate you can start to see evidence of tremoring, seizures, and a very increased heart rate.

 

He may really want those cupcakes, but it is safer to just say no! (Image Source)

If you suspect (or know) that your pet has eaten some chocolates, it is important to call your veterinarian. If possible they will want to know the suspect amount, type and time of the exposure. This will determine treatment. If it will be mild with gastro-intestinal signs many times those can be managed out of the hospital. If the signs are more severe, they may need hospitalization. It is always a good idea to check liver values right after exposure and then throughout treatment to ensure that the liver is not having any negative effects. If ingestion is known to be recent (within 2-6 hours) depending on the patient your veterinarian may induce vomiting to try to remove as much of the chocolate as possible.

Although most of us love our sweets, it is very important to keep them away from our pets. In the event of an accidental exposure, the quicker treatment can be started, the better chance we have for a positive outcome. For more information you can visit this website here or here