Chocolate Poisoning

Chocolate poisoning:

The component of chocolate that is toxic to dogs is called theobromine.  Whereas humans easily metabolise theobromine, dogs process it much more slowly allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system.

A large dog can consume a great deal more chocolate than a small dog, and it's also worth remembering that different types of chocolate have different levels of theobromine. Cocoa, cooking chocolate and dark chocolate have the highest levels, while milk chocolate and white chocolate have the lowest levels.

A small amount of chocolate will probably just give your dog an upset stomach; he may vomit or have diarrhoea. Large amounts though, will have a more serious effect like muscle tremours, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding, or a heart attack.

The onset of theobromine poisoning is usually marked by severe hyperactivity.

The usual treatment for theobromine poisoning is to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion.  If you are worried your dog may have eaten a large quantity of chocolate do not hesitate to call us on 01580713381. Time will be of the essence.