Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Many foods contain small amounts of chocolate and are unlikely to be a problem. Baking chocolate and Semi-sweet morsels (chocolate chips) have the potential to cause serious illness if ingested. Refer to the following chart for toxic levels based on the dog's body weight. Theobromine is the active ingredient in chocolate.
Signs of toxicity include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Excessive urination
- Muscle tremors
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid heart rate
- Delirium
- Hyperactivity, restlessness, agitation followed by depression and coma
- Seizures
- Sudden death from cardiac failure
Toxic Amounts of Chocolate for Different Size Dogs:
|
Weight of dog |
Milk Chocolate (oz) |
Semisweet (oz) |
Unsweetened |
Theobromine (mg) |
|
5lbs |
2 |
.7 |
0.23 |
225 |
|
10 lbs |
4 |
1.4 |
.5 |
450 |
|
15 lbs |
6 |
2.1 |
.7 |
680 |
|
20 lbs |
8.2 |
2.8 |
.9 |
910 |
|
30 lbs |
12.3 |
4.2 |
1.4 |
1360 |
|
40 lbs |
16.4 |
5.5 |
1.9 |
1820 |
|
50 lbs |
20.5 |
6.9 |
2.3 |
2270 |
|
60 lbs |
24.5 |
8.3 |
2.8 |
2720 |
|
70 lbs |
28.6 |
9.7 |
3.2 |
3180 |
|
80 lbs |
32.7 |
11 |
3.7 |
3640 |
|
90 lbs |
36.8 |
12.5 |
4.1 |
4090 |
|
100 lbs |
41 |
13.8 |
4.6 |
4550 |
What your veterinarian will want to know:
- the type of chocolate they ingested
- how many ounces were most likely consumed
- when the chocolate was consumed
- is your pet currently showing any abnormal symptoms?