Chocolate Safety

by | Nov 19, 2019 | Ashford Manor Labradoodles, Australian Labradoodle, Dog health, Dogs, Sick Dog | 0 comments

We have all heard that chocolate is dangerous for dogs. This is to help you in determining if you need to rush your dog to the veterinarian. None of us want to have a sick dog, the best thing is to keep chocolate away from your pets!

Formula for Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs

First, you need to know what kind of chocolate because they all are a little Copper aka Red boydifferent. The darker the chocolate the more toxic it is to your dog. Also you will want to know if any of them have xylitol, nuts, or other potentially toxic items to dogs.

  • White Chocolate – .25 mg/oz
  • Milk Chocolate – 58 mg/oz
  • Semi Sweet Chocolate – 160 mg/oz
  • Dark Chocolate – 130 mg/oz
  • Baker’s Chocoalte – 393 mg/oz
  • Cocoa Powder – 800 mg/oz

Second, how much does your pet weigh, rounded to the nearest 10 pounds. (ex. 17 pounds = 20 pounds)

Third, if your dog ingests close to 20 mg or more, you need to do something urgently. Don’t wait, the quicker you call your vet the better.

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Formula:

Toxic  Amount of chocolate eaten times the mg/oz of the chocolate divided by your pets weight. For those of you who are not good with math formulas, here is a link to a web calculator for you.

 

Examples are with a 20 pound dog:

  1. Dog ate 3 ounces of white chocolate. 3 x .25/20 = .03 – virtually non-toxic
  2. Dog ate 3 ounces of milk chocolate. 3 x 58/20 = 8.7 – relax it is not to bad.
  3. Dog ate 3 ounces of semi sweet chocolate. 3 x 160/20 = 24. – call the vet!
  4. Dog ate 3 ounces of dark chocolate. 3 x 130/20 = 19.5 – call the vet!
  5. Dog ate 3 ounces of Baker’s chocolate. 3 x 393/20 = 59 – call your vet immediately!

**In these formulas please know that a dog can still have an upset tummy or diarrhea just as you would when eating too much of something.**

Signs to look for:

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Increased Thirst
  • Bloating
  • Restlessness
  • Hyperactivity
  • Seizures
  • Rapid Breathing
  • Abnormal heart rate
  • Weakness
  • Changes in blood pressure
  • Rigid limbs/muscles
  • Coma
  • Tremors
  • Drunken Gait
  • Increased Urination

What to do

Call the vet or poison control center (1-800-222-1222). If you cannot get into your vet you can induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide, although your vet has things that will work better and faster.  Depending on how much over the 20 mg level your vet may need to give IV fluids, watch heart rate, blood pressure and more.

Please be smart and remember you are your pets advocate.

Cheryl Sabens

Ashford Manor Labradoodles

Australian Labradoodle Breeder in Indiana

765-714-1436