How to treat chocolate poisoning in a dog?

Chocolate and dogs: what is the danger?

The immediate danger is theobromine, a bitter-tasting substance insoluble in water. Contained in cocoa seeds and cocoa beans. It is close in composition to caffeine and has a similar effect on the body, stimulating the stimulation of the heart muscle. In parallel, irritation of the renal epithelium occurs and the amount of urine increases.

In relation to humans, the danger of poisoning is much less. First of all, this is the amount of chocolate that should be eaten by the owner at one time. Intoxication will occur when eating 35 kg of chocolate products in a person weighing 70 kg (a dangerous dose of 1000 mg/kg; for comparison, a 100 g milk bar contains 150-220 mg of theobromine). Secondly, metabolism goes faster, so there is nothing left of what you eat very quickly.

It's different with dogs. Against the background of reduced metabolism, there is a rapid accumulation of theobromine in the body. The average lethal dose for them is 300 mg/kg, that is, three times lower than that of the host. Cats (kittens) are more sensitive than dogs, but since they are not sweet eaters, there are few cases of theobromine poisoning among them.

Dark and bitter chocolate is the most dangerous for your pet. The higher the percentage of cocoa in the bar, the more likely poisoning is. For example, a dog weighing 20 kg can be intoxicated from 25 grams of dark chocolate.

How much chocolate does your dog need to eat to get sick?

chocolate dog

Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and if your dog has eaten chocolate, before consulting Dr. Google, try to determine how much chocolate the dog ate and call your veterinarian. Every dog is different, and each type of chocolate contains different amounts of methylxanthine (caffeine and theobromine), the most dangerous substances in chocolate, you need to understand how dangerous the dose of chocolate eaten is to the life or health of your dog.

Dogs cannot digest theobromine like humans. In the human body, theobromine causes a diuretic effect, stimulates cardiac activity, relaxes muscles and dilates blood vessels. Based on this, you can understand how it will affect the dog’s body.

Types of chocolate and its toxicity

When assessing the toxicity of chocolate to dogs, you need to know that the darker the chocolate, the higher the level of methylxanthines. Dark natural cocoa, raw cocoa powder, cooking chocolate, and dark chocolate candies contain much more caffeine and theobromine than milk chocolate. However, if a dog eats a large amount of milk chocolate, it will also end sadly.

For example, a dog weighing 23 kg can get sick after eating 25 g of dark chocolate or 200 g of milk chocolate.

According to the Hershey campaign, 44 grams of Hershey's milk chocolate contains 64 mg of theobromine, 45 grams of Hershey's specialty dark chocolate contains 176 mg of theobromine - twice that amount.

The amount of theobromine may vary depending on the growing conditions of the cocoa beans.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs:

If your dog shows any symptoms of chocolate poisoning, you should immediately seek medical attention for your pet. Symptoms develop very quickly and can last for several days. The sooner your pet receives medical care, the better the prognosis for him.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs include:

Vomiting and diarrhea
Excessive salivation
Lethargy
Cardiopalmus
Shiver
Jerking
Increased body temperature
Rapid breathing
Convulsions
Low blood pressure
Heart failure
Weakness
Coma

Amount of Theobromine (approx):

Milk chocolate 180 mg/100 g
Cooking chocolate 1 g/100 g
Semi-sweet chocolate 0.7 mg/100 g
Hot chocolate 40 mg/100 g
White chocolate 4 mg/100 g

Type of chocolate – Theobromine/caffeine

White chocolate 0.25/0.85
Milk chocolate 58/6
Sweet chocolate 130/20
Semi-sweet chocolate chips 138/22
Culinary (sugar-free) chocolate 393/ 47
Dry cocoa powder 737/70
Instant cocoa powder 136/15
Cocoa beans 600/no data
Coffee beans 600/
Cocoa bean husk 255

Before calling your veterinarian, you should know how much chocolate your dog has eaten (think worst-case scenario), the type of chocolate, and your dog's weight. According to the American Animal Poison Control Center ASPCA, chocolate poisoning is:

Just 100g of milk chocolate - or 5g of cooking chocolate - can cause serious illness in a 5kg dog. White chocolate is not as potentially toxic to methylxanthines as cooking chocolate, but its high fat content can cause diarrhea and vomiting, as well as the possible development of life-threatening pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas.

According to the ASPCA, moderate symptoms appear in animals when consuming 20 mg/kg theobromine or caffeine, severe symptoms at 40-50 mg/kg, and seizures at 60 mg/kg.
Accordingly, about 50 g of milk chocolate per 1 kg of dog weight or about 5 g of cooking chocolate per 1 kg can be fatal. Methylxanthines can cross the placenta and enter milk, so puppies in the womb or puppies feeding on their mother's milk may be affected by chocolate toxicosis.

Clinical signs usually occur within 6-12 hours after ingestion of the substance. Initial symptoms include polydipsia, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating and restlessness. They progress to hyperresponsiveness, polyuria, ataxia, tremors, and seizures. Tachycardia, ventricular extrasystole, tachypnea, cyanosis, hypertension, hyperthermia and coma may also occur. Less commonly, bradycardia and hypotension. Hypokalemia can develop at a late stage of toxicosis. Due to the high fat content of many chocolate products, pancreatitis is one of the potential consequences within 24 to 72 hours of consumption. Death usually occurs due to cardiac arrhythmia or respiratory failure.

Symptoms of chocolate overdose in dogs

If a dog has eaten a large amount of sweets, it doesn’t matter - chocolate bars, candies, cocoa powder, or any product that contains theobromine, poisoning can be suspected based on the following signs:

vomiting and diarrhea;
increased urination;
hyperthermia (increased temperature);
excitation;
arrhythmia;
rapid breathing;
ataxia and seizures.

Deaths in dogs are recorded 18-24 hours after eating chocolate. For arrhythmia and respiratory failure. Often the death of a pet occurs within a few days, which confuses the owner and doctors; they cannot immediately trace the pattern of what happened. As a rule, the post-mortem diagnosis is heart failure (arrhythmia).

What are the symptoms of chocolate poisoning?

Clinical symptoms depend on the amount and type of chocolate. For most dogs, symptoms of poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea, thirst, panting, restlessness, excessive urination, rapid heartbeat, muscle spasms (tremors), and sometimes seizures. Older animals that eat large amounts of dark chocolate may have a heart attack, especially if they have heart disease. Complications such as aspiration pneumonia resulting from vomiting can make poisoning even more dangerous. If you are unsure about your dog, contact your veterinarian immediately to begin treatment as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning may take several hours to develop, but they take much longer to resolve. Symptoms may last several days, depending on the rate at which theobromine is eliminated. Theobromine can also be reabsorbed into the body from the bladder, so frequent walking is recommended.

What to do if you are poisoned by chocolate?

There is no antidote to theobromine in dogs; it simply does not exist. Therefore, veterinarians use the entire arsenal of the fight against methylxanthines, methylated xanthine alkaloids, which include caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. These plant substances are useful or neutral in small doses for humans or animals, but in large doses they are life-threatening.

Characteristics of the “trinity”:

caffeine, found in drugs and drinks, has a tonic effect;
theobromine, found in cocoa beans and products made from them, is dangerous for dogs, fatal in large doses;
theophylline, found in anti-asthma medications, is a bronchodilator, the most “calm” one, poisoning with it is rare in veterinary practice.

List of actions for theobromine poisoning: induce vomiting, preferably immediately, but no later than 2 hours after eating chocolate products. To do this, hydrogen peroxide is diluted in a 1:1 ratio and dripped onto the root of the dog’s tongue. After vomiting, adsorbents are given to bind the toxic substance in the stomach and remove it naturally (enterosgel, black coal).

But it is best to immediately take the animal to a veterinary clinic, where the dog will undergo a professional gastric lavage, undergo infusion therapy, and prescribe antiarrhythmic drugs to stop heart failure.

In any case, a pet has a greater chance of survival at the RosVet EC than at home, due to the availability of the necessary equipment, medications and the ability of specialists to carry out resuscitation actions.

There is no antidote for chocolate (theobromine) poisoning! Therefore, you should not hesitate and you need to immediately bring the dog to the RosVet Exhibition Center to minimize the likelihood of death. Call us 24 hours a day and make an urgent appointment.

How to treat chocolate poisoning?

Treatment depends on the amount and type of chocolate eaten. If treatment is started in the early stages, either by cleansing the stomach or using activated charcoal, then no further treatment is likely to be required. Activated charcoal can be used every 4-6 hours for the first 24 hours after poisoning to reduce absorption and further recycling of theobromine.

Often, therapeutic treatment, such as an intravenous drip, is prescribed to weaken the effect of the toxin and promote its release. All dogs that have consumed chocolate should be carefully monitored for symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, nervousness, abnormal heart rhythms and high blood pressure. Medicines that slow the heart rate are often used

Symptoms

vomit;
diarrhea;
increased body temperature;
increase in reflex reactions;
muscle rigidity;
rapid breathing;
increased heart rate;
low blood pressure;
convulsions;
more extensive signs (heart failure, weakness and coma).

The amount and type of chocolate that enters a dog's body are determining factors in the severity of the poisoning. There are three types of chocolate that you need to know about:

milk chocolate. Moderate signs of poisoning appear when 40 g of chocolate per 1 kg of body weight enters the body, severe poisoning occurs when 100 g of chocolate per kilogram of body weight;
semi-sweet chocolate. Weak signs of poisoning appear when 15 g per 1 kg of body weight enters the body, severe poisoning occurs when chocolate in the amount of 50 g per 1 kg of body weight enters the body;
bitter chocolate. This type of chocolate has the highest concentration of caffeine and theobromine. So just 30g of dark chocolate could be toxic to a 9kg dog.

Chocolate for animals is POISON!

You've probably heard that chocolate is a deadly poison for dogs and cats .
Is this really true? If people can eat chocolate, why can't dogs and cats? Animals and people are different creatures in many ways. For example, our pets can run in the snow all day without any consequences. People can run barefoot in the snow for about 30 seconds before they feel pain. So what is the harm of chocolate for animals, read in this article. The source of the problem for dogs and cats is a plant-based substance called theobromine , which is found in cocoa beans. It is toxic for our little brothers. Methylxanthines, such as theobromine, are eliminated from the human body much more efficiently than from the dog body. This is why animals should not eat chocolate.

How much theobromine is in chocolate?

Theobromine is similar to caffeine and is used medicinally as a diuretic, cardiac stimulant, vasodilator, and muscle relaxant.

Theobromine has a half-life of 17.5 hours in dogs. If a dog has eaten chocolate, then the toxic dose is 100-150 mg/kg of weight.

Chocolate for animals - POISON

However, the concentration of theobromine varies depending on the type of chocolate. For example:

Milk chocolate contains 154 mg of theobromine per 100 g. The toxic dose for a 22 kg dog is 1400 g of milk chocolate. White chocolate is practically harmless, as it contains about 3.5 mg of theobromine per 100 g. Semi-sweet chocolate contains 528 mg of theobromine per 100 g. The toxic dose for a 22-kg dog is 425 g of semi-sweet chocolate. Baking chocolate contains 1365 mg of theobromine per 100 g. The toxic dose for a 22 kg dog is 141 g of chocolate.

In general, the darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for your dog or cat.

Theobromine in chocolate-coated candies (such as those found in dried fruit chocolates) will be more diluted than in pure chocolate and hard chocolates.

Obviously, the chocolate in milk chocolate is quite diluted, which is why many cats and dogs can eat a bite or two without much consequence. Some compassionate owners cannot stand the pitiful look of their pet and share their sweetness with him. After all, the slice is so small, what bad can happen?

Small amounts of chocolate will likely give your pet an upset stomach with vomiting or diarrhea. However, the main problem is that a dog or cat develops a love for chocolate and may try to eat it at any opportunity. And this could be baking chocolate that the owners accidentally left on the table.