![]() In addition to this, the very slow deactivation of theobromine by dogs means that the effects of chocolate poisoning can be very prolonged – up to three days, so your dog may need to be hospitalised for all this time.More often than not, you know it’s vomit because the dog will display warning signs such as retching noises and a contraction of their ribs and tummy. The earlier this is treated the more likely you are to save the dog’s life. Do not be fooled by this into thinking that everything is OK. Because of this, symptoms may not appear for many hours after the chocolate is eaten. Some dogs that have abnormal heart rhythms will need drugs to combat this.Ĭhocolate is digested very much more slowly by dogs than people. In almost all cases, the circulation needs to be supported by giving fluids intravenously. This is important because theobromine, once it has been deactivated by the liver, and excreted into the intestines can become reactivated, and reabsorbed again. Once the vomiting has been controlled, then intestinal adsorbents may safely be given. ![]() The most commonly used drugs of this type are called metoclopramide, butorphanol and acepromazine. If the dog is vomiting already, then anti-vomiting drugs may need to be given first, especially if the chocolate was consumed many hours previously. Intestinal adsorbents slow, or prevent the absorption of toxic substances from the intestines. Once the vomiting has stopped, an intestinal adsorbent can be given, such as activated charcoal. This can be by the administration of drugs such as apomorphine (which very reliably causes vomiting in dogs), or by giving a washing soda crystal orally. In dogs that have only recently consumed the chocolate, if they have not vomited, then vomiting is usually induced. Every dog is different, and in each case, the exact treatment protocol may have to be adjusted according to the quantity of chocolate thought to have been consumed, and the symptoms that the dog is displaying. ![]() What follows is general treatment advice for the treatment of chocolate poisoning. If the dog is not fitting, then more treatment options are available and the outlook is better. Convulsing dogs require immediate attention, and general anaesthesia may be required to stop the seizures. Chocolate poisoning is in every sense of the word an emergency, and we may not be able to take time to fully discuss treatment options in the first instance. However, some will, and most will be very ill at the very least. Most 20kg dogs won’t die if they eat six ounces of dark chocolate. These figures relate to the minimum fatal doses for dogs. If your dog eats any significant quantity of cocoa powder or dark chocolate go immediately to the vet. It can contain as much as 50% more theobromine than plain chocolate, so as little as four ounces could be fatal. Most cases of chocolate poisoning involve dogs that have eaten a whole box of chocolates from under a Christmas tree, and deaths in these, often quite large dogs are not in any way uncommon. So, dividing our 2600mg lethal dose by 16mg leaves us with a figure of 162.5g of dark chocolate as being potentially lethal to a 20kg dog. The quantity of theobromine in chocolate varies, even within the same broad groups mentioned above, but dark chocolate can contain as much as 16mg of theobromine per gram of chocolate. Taking this as a base, a 20kg dog (about the size of most Border Collies), it may only require 130×20 = 2600mg of theobromine to be a fatal dose. According to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, 130mg/kg was fatal to one dog. What could be lethal for one dog, may be no problem for another. The quantity of chocolate that must be eaten before toxic symptoms appear is different for each dog.
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