Can dogs die from eating chocolate?
(▪‿▪)DoctorWhoGuru(▪‿▪)
2012/04/23 05:15:16
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Top Opinion
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Vitalani 2012/04/23 05:22:51Yes
+11They can not metabolize theobromine the way people can. It can cause a wide array of symptoms that can kill them, especially heightened heart rate. It depends on size of the dog and type/amount of chocolate they consume. It can have the same affect on other animals like horses and cats as well. Grapes are another common dog killer that people don't often hear about.
I would not feed my dog Max chocolate even if it wasn't toxic, as he is hyper enough as it is.
Canines getting it chronically, cardiomyopathy and kidney failure for sure, the liver wouldn't be far behind. Average lethal dosage is only about 200 or 300 mg per kg of body weight if I remember right. Cumulative! Remember 17.5 hour half-life.
So feeding chocolate, onions and grapes might not do any major harm, or it might cause some stomach upsets depending on the dog, BUT xylitol is absolutely, without a doubt, toxic AND deadly and shouldn't be given in any form to any dog for any reason, we need to be vigilant about keeping products that contain xylitol out of reach of dogs.
Two Deadly Effects of Xylitol
Hypoglycemia
In the canine body, the pancreas confuses xylitol with real sugar and releases insulin to store the “sugar.” The problem is that xylitol does not offer the extra Calories of sugar and the rush of insulin only serves to remove the real sugar from the circulation. Blood sugar levels plummet resulting in weakness, disorientation, tremors, and potentially seizures.
It does not take many sticks of gum to poison a dog, especially a small dog (see below for t...
So feeding chocolate, onions and grapes might not do any major harm, or it might cause some stomach upsets depending on the dog, BUT xylitol is absolutely, without a doubt, toxic AND deadly and shouldn't be given in any form to any dog for any reason, we need to be vigilant about keeping products that contain xylitol out of reach of dogs.
Two Deadly Effects of Xylitol
Hypoglycemia
In the canine body, the pancreas confuses xylitol with real sugar and releases insulin to store the “sugar.” The problem is that xylitol does not offer the extra Calories of sugar and the rush of insulin only serves to remove the real sugar from the circulation. Blood sugar levels plummet resulting in weakness, disorientation, tremors, and potentially seizures.
It does not take many sticks of gum to poison a dog, especially a small dog (see below for toxic doses). Symptoms typically begin within 30 minutes and can last for more than 12 hours. Vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.
Hepatic Necrosis
The other reaction associated with xylitol in the canine body is actual destruction of liver tissue. How this happens remains unknown but the doses of xylitol required to produce this effect are much higher than the hypoglycemic doses described above. Signs take longer to show up (typically 8-12 hours) and surprisingly not all dogs that experience hepatic necrosis, will have experienced hypoglycemia first. A lucky dog experiences only temporary illness but alternatively, a complete and acute liver failure can result with death following. Internal hemorrhage and inability of blood to clot is commonly involved.
How Much Xylitol Is Dangerous?
The hypoglycemic dose of xylitol for dogs is considered to be approximately 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight (about 0.045 grams per pound). A typical stick of gum contains 0.3 to 0.4 grams of xylitol, which means that a 10 lb dog could be poisoned by as little as a stick and a half of gum.
The dose to cause hepatic necrosis is 1 gram per kilogram of body weight, about ten times more than the above dose. In the example above, the 10 lb dog would have to find an unopened package of gum and eat it for liver destruction to occur.
Treatment
Ideally, the patient can be seen quickly (within 30 minutes) and can be made to vomit the gum or candy. Beyond this, a sugar IV drip is prudent for a good 24 hours. Liver enzyme and blood clotting tests are monitored for 2 to 3 days. Blood levels of potassium are ideally monitored as well. Elevated blood phosphorus levels often bode poorly.
What about Cats?
So far National Animal Poison Control has no reports of xylitol toxicity in cats. At this time, feline toxicity is unknown.
For those who don't believe everything they read on the internet, it is even confirmed on Snopes
http://www.snopes.com/critter...
Wretha
It varies by breeds some like poodles are very sensitive to it while hound type dogs are very tolerant.
There is a compound called theobromine, which is the real danger. It is actualy good for humans but bad for dogs because they cannot metabolize it properly and it can cause seizures in dogs. Theobromine acts as a mild mood enhancer in humans but it is much stronger for dogs even a small amount can last for hours. Since adrenelin acts as a natural antidote the more active your dog is the less likely to have an ill effect but I suggest you not take the risk and give your dog carob instead wich tastes very similar but without the dangerous chemical.
I had a dog that lived to 19 and used to eat chocolate, candies, human food and his own dog food all the time. He never had a problem with any of that. He used to sit in the kitchen when supper was being made and if anything fell off the counter he would grab it before it even touched the ground. I guess he figured if it came off the counter in that room its got to be good.