Can you feed your dog chocolates?
Dogs and humans are the undisputed friends of the animal kingdom. What is dear to man, is also dear to our dogs too. We are talking about none other than man’s second-best friend - chocolates. As opposed to humans, where chocolates can just uptick your calorie intake, and in extreme cases lead to diabetes and obesity. For dogs, this could be much worse. Hence, it's important to be aware of the repercussions of giving chocolates to your dogs, no matter how much they puppy eye us and keep them completely away from chocolates.
In general, veterinarians frown upon giving dogs any kind of human food, but chocolates are what we need to be extra mindful about.
Why is chocolate bad for dogs?
- 1. Chemicals: Chocolate contains certain chemicals (caffeine, theobromine) that dogs may not find easy to metabolize. When accumulated over time, they can damage the regular bodily functions and create unwanted, dangerous side effects.
- 2. Cocoa is toxic: The level of toxicity depends on the type of chocolates. Some chocolates are worse than others. The worst is cocoa, which is considered the most toxic. Next is dark chocolate, then milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
What happens if your dog eats chocolate?
- 1. Excessive drooling: Initial symptoms can take 6 to 12 hours to appear. It may include excessive drooling and panting, increased thirst, and urination.
- 2. Upset stomach: It can also lead to an upset stomach, followed by vomiting and diarrhea.
- 3. Increased heart rate: Your dog may experience increased heart rate, restlessness, and nervousness. Much like a caffeine-sensitive human who has consumed an excessive amount of caffeine.
- 4. Drop in body temperature: In more severe cases, it can lead to irregular heart rate, resulting in a drop in body temperature.
- 5. Extereme conditons - muscle spasms and coma: Extreme symptoms include lethargy, muscle spasms, seizures, and coma. Sometimes even leading to death.
This of course depends on the amount of dosage, and toxicity level proportional to the size and weight of the dog. It's heartbreaking that a divine thing such as chocolate can lead to traumatic experiences for our fur buddies.
How do Vets treat chocolate poisoning in dogs?
Chocolate needs to be removed from the system of your dog. If chocolate is consumed in the last hour or so, vets may be able to induce vomiting to get the chocolate out of their system. This doesn’t mean you should try to do this at home by inducing vomiting. Call your vet immediately, if you suspect your dog has consumed chocolates.
Activated charcoal or intravenous fluids can also help counteract the poisoning. Other things may include anti-nausea/diarrhea/seizure medications. None of these should be tried at home.
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