Why dogs should not be allowed to eat chocolates

People love dogs. Pet owners have the habit of tossing a piece of the food they are eating with the pet not knowing that some people food can poison the pet. A pet owner would wonder why foods that give humans a lot of benefits would be harmful to dogs. Humans and dog have many genetic similarities but they are also different in a lot of ways. One of these differences is the dog\’s inability to digest chocolates. The toxic effect of chocolates on dogs is made more dangerous because a lot of dog owners are unaware of this fact. Chocolates are comfort foods that give humans loads of benefits. Chocolates and dogs though is a bad combination.

The substance theobromine that is found in chocolates is what makes this world\’s most loved treat toxic to dogs. Cocoa beans from where chocolates are derived contains the substance theobromine. This chemical acts as a stimulant and has the effect of increasing the frequency of urination and affecting the central nervous system as well as the heart muscles. The toxic effects of theobromine in dogs is caused by dog\’s inability to digest this substance. A dog that continuously ingest small amount of chocolates will eventually develop a variety of medical concerns because the dog\’s inability to digest theobromine would result to an accumulation of this toxic substance.

People love chocolates and because dogs are well loved pets, the chocolate bar or the Black Forest cake the dog owner is eating will be shared with the pet. Apparently, a dog will not show signs of poisoning if only a small amount of these kinds of chocolates are consumed.

A good news to dog owners that are unaware of the harmful effects of chocolates to the dog is the fact that the toxicity of this food is dose dependent so that the pet has to consume from 100 to 150 milligrams of chocolate per kilogram of body weight before the pet will be affected. The toxicity level would depend on the type of chocolate consumed. The toxicity level is much lower in white chocolates because this type of chocolate contains very little theobromine.

Because of the low theobromine content, a dog has to consume 200 ounces of white chocolates before clinical signs of poisoning can be noticed. Milk chocolates and semi-sweet chocolates contains more of toxic substance thus a substantial amount consumed will be dangerous to the pet. The baking chocolate is the most dangerous ass it has the highest theobromine content. Although a dog owner may not give the dog baking chocolate it is still possible for the dog to ingest substantial amount because the dog\’s nose would find where the chocolates are kept and would have an eating spree. The dog has to have medical attention ASAP. It is always good to know what to do if your dog has eaten chocolate.

FInd out more about why dogs can\’t eat chocolate and what to do if your dog eats chocolate at Sarah\’s Dogs.

Why dogs should not be allowed to eat chocolates