[rustyboymom]

Hi thank God for this site.. I don't have a credit card... but my 70 poud dog ate dark chocolate chips and then ate a lot of grass... will he be o.k ?

[teachnk]

How long ago did he eat it and has he thrown up? How much did he eat?

[Sariss]

It usually takes about 100-150mg/kg of theobromine to be fatal to a dog. The amount of theobromine varies depending on the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate (which I THINK is bakers chocolate) is usually 450mg/oz, though it can be less.
Which means, a dog your size may be in trouble if he has consumed 3100-4650mg of theobromine, aka about 7-10oz.

Get him to vomit. Right now. Move him away from the vomit, as dogs tend to re-eat it, since it's so sweet. Give your vet a call and ask what else you can do. You may have to go pick up activated charcoal.
To make him vomit, make him swallow about 3.5ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Wait about 10 minutes, and if he still hasn't thrown up, give him 3.5ml more. Don't repeat it again if he doesn't throw up.

Keep an eye on him. Look for things such as excitement, seizures, thirst, trembling, muscle spams, etc. Call your vet if you notice any of these.

[TJ17]

These aren't my words by the way, I just went an looked for you.

So, let's get straight to the point. Can chocolate kill dogs?

The short answer is yes. Chocolate can indeed cause a dog to die if ingested in enough quantity.

A single, shop purchased bar of chocolate is not going to kill your dog.
It's unlikely it would even harm the dog in any great deal so let's not get too anxious.

How Much Chocolate is Poisonous to Dogs?

This can be difficult as all dogs are different - factor in the specific kind of chocolate and the weight of the dog, their age and health, and it can be hard to tell. Here are a few charting lists of information that may help to understand better:

Relative Theobromine content per ounce for various products is:

Milk chocolate: 44 - 60 mgs/ounce
Unsweetened baking chocolate: 450 mg/oz
Cacao meal: 300 - 900 mg/oz
Cacao beans: 300 - 1200 mg/oz
Hot chocolate: 13 mg/oz
Relative chocolate content per pound of body weight:

Baking Chocolate: 0.1 oz/.lb
Milk Chocolate: 1oz/.lb
Sweet Cocoa: 0.3/.b
White Chocolate: 200oz/.lb

As you can see different varieties of chocolate have different levels of toxicity with Bakers Chocolate containing the most Theobromine content while white chocolate has the least amount of danger. This isn’t an accurate representation to go by as we mentioned above as there are many other factors that play into this. Vets have reported some cases where animals under 20 pounds have died after eating just small bites of chocolate.

Signs of chocolate poisoning

A dog that has ingested sufficient amount of chocolate would vomit and have diarrhea. As the theobromide affects the central nervous system the dog would show agitation, hyperactivity, muscle tremors and restlessness. Abnormal heart activity will also be noticed (slow or fast heart beat). The toxins in the chocolate acts a diuretic that make the dog urinate frequently.

Treating Chocolate Poisoning

To treat a dog with chocolate poisoning you will first have to be prepared for such an event by stocking up on an activated charcoal substance and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide or Syrup of Ipecac. Build a small emergency kit with these essential ingredients as they will be effective with several varieties of plant and chemical toxins.

Activated charcoal such as Taliban (ask your vet for a bottle to keep on hand for emergencies) comes in a few different varieties; charcoal tablets, powder, or even a thick liquid form. The processed charcoal works to bind itself to poison thus preventing the processing and absorption into the blood stream of your pet. It has also been said that burnt toast will work in the same way but would only be recommended if you were stranded on the moon. In other words, make yourself prepared as it is your dogs life at stake.

The hydrogen peroxide is used to induce vomiting. Mix three percent hydrogen peroxide to water solution and give your dog 1-2 tea spoons for a smaller dog, 3-4 tables spoons for a larger dog, by mouth every 10-15 minutes until you produce vomiting.

To treat your dog of poisoning, first induce the vomiting. Once this has occurred you need to administer the charcoal. The sooner your dog ingests the charcoal, the sooner you can deactivate the dangerous effects of the poison. If you procured your charcoal from your vet, follow their instructions for the dosage amount to provide. If you got it from a pharmacy follow this general rule: 1 teaspoon for 25 lb. or less and two teaspoons for dogs weighing more.

If your Dog shows any symptoms then you should see your Vet.