If you have ever disbelieved the theory that chocolate can kill dogs, I'm here to tell you that it absolutely can.
Back in 2015 someone had taken a reusable grocery bag and cut it down to about 4 inches in height. They then proceeded to put at least 3 Bakers Chocolate Bars in there broke up into a bunch of small pieces. When my husband let the dogs out that morning, he didn't think anything of it. About a half hour later he left to go to work. He found this bag in our backyard, obviously dropped over the fence by someone. Not thinking anything of it he put it in the house on the counter and went to work. Later that day I noticed it on the counter but didn't put 2 and 2 together. I went to the store and back and everything was fine. a little later I went to get groceries and returned about a half hour later. The site I saw at this time was not something you want to see. My beautiful girl Akeela, who was not yet 4 years old, was lying dead at the bottom of my stairs. Needless to say, I started to scream. Mt neighbor from across the street heard me and came over. During this time, I had tried to resuscitate her by doing chest compressions. As soon as I did the first one this horrible brownie red substance came pouring out of her. My neighbor loaded her and my two other dogs into her vehicle and took us to the vet. She carried my dead dog in for me because I was so out of it. I asked for a necropsy and when he cut her open, he said that her heart had burst. She had so much chocolate in her that it was all he could see and smell. He proceeded to give my other 2 dogs charcoal to induce vomiting. Brimley my one boy was doing horrible, but he pulled through, my other girl Brizzie hardly ate any of it he said.
Now to give you a bit of information about what is
chocolate that can be deadly to dogs. The main ingredient of chocolate is coca. The cocoa bean contains two methylxanthines, which are natural occurring stimulants found in foodstuffs. These 2 toxic drugs are theobromine and caffeine, which are especially toxic to dogs, but also for cats and other animals. Theobromine is toxic because they are4 unable to metabolize the drug as quickly as humans can. Because of this it builds up to a toxic level for their system.
While you shouldn't give your pets any type of chocolate, some is more toxic than others. The concentration level is what determines how poisonous it is. The darker the chocolate the higher the levels. In order of toxicity level, starting from the most toxic is
Cocoa powder
Baking/cooking chocolate.
Dark chocolate
Milk chocolate
White chocolate
Please remember that any chocolate eaten in larger amounts can cause serious health issues. The dog's reaction to chocolate is dependent on a number of factors. The amount ingested and weight of your pet are the determining factors.
The signs and symptoms of poisoning between 4 - 24 hours of eating the chocolate are as follows.
Early signs are mild and include:
Gastrointestinal upset
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Excessive urination
Increased thirst
Signs can progress to include:
Hyperactivity
Increased heart rate
Hyperthermia
Pancreatitis
The more severe signs include:
Depression
Heart arrhythmias and heart failure
Tremors
Seizures
Coma
Death
If you believe or suspect your pet as ingested chocolate never try to induce vomiting yourself. Try to determine how much and what kind of chocolate they ate and got to your vet. When you arrive your vet will start to give your pet supportive care. This includes:
Inducing the vomiting
IV fluids to assist in flushing remaining toxins and for hydration.
Administering activated charcoal
Medication to regulate heart rate
Medication to control seizures
Placing a urinary catheter to prevent secondary reabsorption.
For more information about what is toxic to pets, or they show any of these symptoms contact the petpoisonhelpline.com or aspca.org
Information provided by. animalemergencyservice.com.au
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