# border terrier ate a chocolate bar



## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

hi everyone, i need some advice about my dog, tonight he managed to find, steal, open and eat a big 230g bar of chocolate without me knowing as i'm busy fitting new windows, i just found the wrapper empty and he was hiding coz he knew he'd been bad, he seems fine but i heard chocolate is poison for dogs, will he be ok?


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

will probably be fine one of my dogs have eaten a easter egg before and was fine .. he may puke though


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## wohic (Jun 19, 2006)

boywonder said:


> hi everyone, i need some advice about my dog, tonight he managed to find, steal, open and eat a big 230g bar of chocolate without me knowing as i'm busy fitting new windows, i just found the wrapper empty and he was hiding coz he knew he'd been bad, he seems fine but i heard chocolate is poison for dogs, will he be ok?


The richer the chocolate the more dangerous it is, If it were me i would call a duty vet and ask his advice.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

We used to feed my dog cadburys buttons to train her, she was perfect was pts at the age of 14 because she had cancer.
Id keep an eye on her tbh see how she goes.


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## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

he must have eaten it at about 7pm tonight, little bugger, it was a cadburys caramel bar, so mostly caramel and cheapo chocolate, he still seems fine and hasn't been sick, i'll see how he is in the morning, i couldn't believe it when i saw the wrapper on the floor, i was looking forward to eating it myself lol


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

greedy sod didnt even leave you any lol 
hope he will be ok


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## JulieNoob (Jul 9, 2008)

I would think he will be totally fine - one of mine stole 8 Easter eggs once (she ate through a cupboard and a bag to do so) - she was fine but foil wrapped poo for a few days.
Keep a close eye but Cadburys is not a worry really ....unless yoru dog has a particular intolerance


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

there is a fair bit on google about it

use

dog chocolate poison 

as a search..

eg

Chocolate and Dog Poisoning

Chocolate Poisoning :: Dog Care

if you are worried, then the advice is to induce vomiting and feed charcoal biscuits, which will absorb the toxins.. the longer its left the worse it can be.

tbh, i would be wary, and keeping a very close eye..


i have also borrowed this from a vet site

Chocolate Toxicity - Veterinary Medicine



Chocolate is made from the fruit (beans) of the cacao tree. *Theobromine*, a component of chocolate, is the toxic compound in chocolate. (Caffeine is also present in chocolate, but in much smaller amounts than Theobromine.) 
Theobromine's effect on the body: 


Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant
Cardiovascular stimulant
Increase blood pressure (mild)
Nausea and vomiting
 *Are some chocolates more toxic than others?*
Yes. Unsweetened (baker's) chocolate contains 8-10 times the amount of Theobromine as milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate falls roughly in between the two for Theobromine content. White chocolate contains Theobromine, but in such small amounts that Theobromine poisoning is unlikely. Caffeine is present in chocolate, but less than Theobromine. 
*Quick Guide for Theobromine levels in different types of chocolate:* 
_From The Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th ed_ 
Unsweetened (Baker's) chocolate = 390-450 mg Theobromine per oz chocolate 
Milk chocolate = 44-60 mg Theobromine per oz chocolate 
Semi-sweet is a bit less than half of the Theobromine content as Baker's chocolate. *How much is too much?*
The toxic dose of Theobromine (and caffeine) for pets is 100-200mg/kg. (1 kiliogram = 2.2 pounds). However, various reports by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) have noted problems at doses much lower than this - i.e. 20mg/kg. 
Translated to a "typical" scenario, and using the 20mg/kg as a measure of "problems can be seen at this level of ingestion", a 50 pound dog would have to consume 9 ounces (+/-) of milk chocolate to consume the 20mg/kg amount of Theobromine. Some dogs won't see problems at this rate. Some may. 
This is a much more conservative toxic level calculation than the "standard" of 100-200mg/kg, but better safe than sorry. A dog sneaking a couple M&M's shouldn't have a problem, but it isn't a good habit to get into! 
*What are the signs of toxicity?*
Signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate ingestion. 


Excitement / nervousness / trembling
Vomiting / diarrhea
Excessive thirst / sometimes excessive urination (at higher levels of Theobromine toxicity)
Muscle spasms
Seizures
Coma (rare
Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities.
 *How is chocolate toxicity treated?*
If you suspect that your pet has eaten chocolate (more than the stray chocolate chip that fell on the floor), call your veterinarian for advice. The toxicity of Theobromine is dose dependent. This means that the size of your pet, the type of chocolate, and quantity of chocolate determine if or how toxic it is for your pet. 
There is no specific antidote for Theobromine toxicity. Medical treatmentis supportive, and may include all or some of the following: 


*IV fluids* - to prevent dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, and /or increased urination, and to "flush" the Theobromine out of the system.
*Emetics* - medications that induce vomiting. Used when the ingestion of chocolate is within 4 hours. Up to 6-8 hours post chocolate ingestion may be effective.
*Activated charcoal* - for ingestion greater than 4 hours prior to treatment, or for patients that show continued signs of toxicity.
*Anti-seizure medications* - for patients having seizures and/or muscle tremors.
*Cardiac medication*s - for patients exhibiting irregular heart rates or rhythms.
 *Why isn't chocolate toxic to humans?*
Humans can break down and excrete Theobromine much more efficiently than dogs. The half life of Theobromine in the dog is long; approximately 17.5 hours. 
Keep your pet's best interests at heart...chocolate wasn't meant to be shared anyway (grin). 
Veterinary Q & A is part of a continuing series. See the archive for more Q & A topics. 
Text: Copyright © Janet Tobiassen Crosby. All rights reserved.


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## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

foil poo's yum yum, i had a labrador who ate a balloon once it came out in one piece, string and all, id had gone down btw and i didn't fancy trying to blow it back up lol


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## boywonder (Mar 10, 2008)

thats very interesting Nerys, i'll give him some charcoal biscuits now. but he seems fine and it must be 4-5 hours since he snaffled it


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

np

thought it might help people to know the science behind it being a problem.. its not just talk, chocolate really is toxic, or parts of it are at least..

i have to say its one of my strong rules here. NONE of the animals are allowed anywhere near the stuff.. and any we have is kept securely away from them.

N


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

had got everything out to do some baking once and went to answer the door blah blah blah as you do went back to the kitchen 1kg margerine 1kg sugar and a slab of cooking chocolate all gone and one very green looking labrador dog. That was years ago though and the vet just said bring him in if he doesn't vomit it up.
Well that was another fine mess for me to clean up and clean up and clean up


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## Evie (Jan 28, 2008)

I never let mine have chocolate - not even dog chocs because I think it gives them a taste for it. 
Its dark chocolate that is the most dangerous. I reckon you could use a training disks system to teach an aversion to it if you wanted to. Years ago one of mine snaffled a box of chocs and he was ok but I was pretty scared at the time. He also ate some glittery shower gel the same Christmas. he was fine but he had sparkly poo (I loved that dog so much it hurts everytime I think of him!)


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## shplooble (Jan 5, 2008)

my dogs steal chocolate all the time theyre buggers when they want to be and the worse it has ever done is give them runny poo I think its a bit over exagerated


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## vetdebbie (Jan 4, 2008)

had a phonecall at 7 just as we were shutting - chihuahua + normal dairy milk bar. Told to go to OOH but didn't (money) went there at 9pm eventually, dead by 9.30. Still think it's over exaggerated?


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

thank you debbie, although i am sorry to hear about the little chi

tbh, i get thoroughly fed up of all the people who think its ok to give their animals chocolate.. when will people learn.. chocolate is a poison to them.. if your dog eats it and is fine, then you are lucky, not all dogs are so lucky..

N


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

Nerys said:


> tbh, i get thoroughly fed up of all the people who think its ok to give their animals chocolate.. when will people learn.. chocolate is a poison to them.. if your dog eats it and is fine, then you are lucky, not all dogs are so lucky..
> 
> N


Very true all chocolate is dangerous to dogs.With dark being the most dangerous.There are a couple of factors that is the line between life and death.First the rate of chocolate to dairy ratio(strain of chocolate) and second the breed or rather size of the dog.Example a pack of brown chocolate/dairy buttons + mastiff it's not likly that there will be any ill affect but still contact a vet.However a pack of brown chocolate/dairy buttons + yorkie due to the size of the dog it is highly likly that a yorkie size dog will express sign's of poisioning and death is a real reality.


Here's a little usful info i found.

*White chocolate:* 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.

*Milk chocolate:* 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.

*Sweet cocoa:* 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.

*Baking chocolate:* 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Nerys said:


> thank you debbie, although i am sorry to hear about the little chi
> 
> tbh, i get thoroughly fed up of all the people who think its ok to give their animals chocolate.. when will people learn.. chocolate is a poison to them.. if your dog eats it and is fine, then you are lucky, not all dogs are so lucky..
> 
> N


they did a story line on corrie about it too............noris was feeding ritas dog i think it was with chocolates to keep it quiet and..............it died

See i totally agree with nerys people really dont realise how dangerous it is for animals to eat chocolate 

If its that over exagertated then why would they do a story line of a dog dying from toxic poisionings due to chocolate on a soap?

The answers is most people watch soaps so easy way of getting it across


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