What to Do If Your Dog Has Eaten Chocolate

A dog owner's biggest fear is having their dog get sick and not being able to do anything to help. But dogs are curious creatures and love to eat things they aren't supposed to. If the worst-case scenario happens to you and your furry friend, don't fret. Follow these steps and you're dog is likely to make a full recovery.

What makes chocolate so bad for dogs?

Chocolate is notorious for being a dangerous food for dogs. But what makes it so bad? There are two chemicals in chocolate that cause dog poisoning: caffeine and theobromine. These speed up heart rate and over-stimulate the nervous system at dangerous levels. Chocolate is also bad for cats but it's not usually an issue, seeing as cats don't have the same kind of sweet tooth that dogs have. Larger dogs can eat more chocolate before getting sick, but even a little bit of chocolate is dangerous. A crumb won't hurt, but you should never give chocolate as a treat. Mild poisoning symptoms start when 20mg per kilogram of body weight is consumed. An average chocolate bar is around 1.5 ounces, meaning that much more than this can be deadly for the average dog.

Assess the Situation

Before you start to panic take a deep breath and figure out what happened. Try to find the packaging of what your dog ate. Your dog's weight, the type of chocolate, and the amount consumed all contribute to the toxicity level. Using a chocolate calculator will tell you what kind of reaction to expect from your pooch. Even if you get a "good" answer, no amount of chocolate is safe for dogs and you should make sure to get them the proper medical care. You should also pay attention and see if your pet is starting to show any side effects. These include vomiting, anxiousness, panting, wobbling, or a bluish tongue.

Get it out of their system

It's crucial that you seek veterinary care for your pet as soon as possible. They will most likely tell you to induce vomiting in your dog so they can get the chocolate out of their system. This seems daunting, but it's actually a simple process. You will need to get 3% hydrogen peroxide and a syringe that measures in teaspoons. The proper dosage for canines is one teaspoon for every five pounds of weight. Keep in mind that the maximum dosage is three tablespoons, no matter how much your dog weighs. All you have to do next is to squirt the peroxide into the back of your dog's throat and make sure that they swallow it. They should begin to throw up within a few minutes. If your dog doesn't start vomiting you can re-dose only one time. If this doesn't work, you must take your dog to a vet or an emergency clinic.

Make sure it doesn't happen again!

As traumatic as this event can be for an owner, it's even more traumatic for the dog going through it. To prevent this from happening again, make sure you keep chocolate, chocolate products, and coffee in a place where dogs can't reach. Going to a veterinarian for an emergency like this can be even more expensive than a standard checkup. To avoid a surprise vet bill, it's a good idea to look into pet insurance for dogs. There are great non-financial benefits to getting pet insurance as well. Unlike health insurance, you don't have to stay in a network. This means that Fido can keep going to his favorite vet. If your dog has specific medical needs or just needs a yearly checkup, pet insurance is a smart decision for every pet owner.

It's important to remember that canine chocolate poisoning does not have to be a death sentence. Most dogs will recover from this kind of accident and live long happy lives. Remember to stay calm, get help, and prevent it from happening a second time.