07/07/2022
⚠️ Understanding Dogs and Chocolate: Is It Harmful?
Chocolate is toxic to dogs because it contains theobromine and to a lesser extent, caffeine. Humans metabolize theobromine easily, but dogs don't. Dogs process theobromine and caffeine slowly, which allows these toxic compounds to build up in their systems and cause clinical signs associated with chocolate toxicity.
But when it comes to toxicity, not all chocolate is the same. What happens if a dog eats chocolate is different based on the type of chocolate they consumed. Baker's chocolate and cocoa, for example, are considered to be the most toxic, then dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.
But if your dog consumes a large amount of chocolate or if you have a small dog who consumes chocolate, then they may develop the following signs of chocolate toxicity:
Seizures
Tremors
Irregular heart rate
Heart arrhythmia
Internal bleeding
These signs are usually proceeded by an onset of extreme excitement.
