Chocolate, cocoa, or coffee might be perfectly fine for human consumption, but it is highly poisonous to dogs. If your dog ate chocolate, you could use the dog chocolate toxicity calculator to find out whether you need to worry and take your pet to the vet quickly or if it’s in the safe range.
Can Dogs Eat Chocolate?
Sure, chocolate is luscious and delicious, but it contains chemicals from a family called methylxanthines that are highly poisonous to your pet. The theobromine of the methylxanthine family is what gives the bitter taste to dark chocolate.
So, can dogs have chocolate?
The answer is no, no, and no. Dogs should not have chocolate at all. But if they have eaten it, the amount of theobromine in the chocolate, depending on the type of chocolate and the weight of the dog can determine whether the amount they’ve ingested is poisonous or not.
Here, the dog chocolate toxicity calculator comes to the rescue.
And why can’t dogs eat chocolate? Sure, chocolate is luscious and delicious, but it contains chemicals from a family called methylxanthines that are extremely poisonous to your pet. The theobromine of the methylxanthine family is what gives the bitter taste to dark chocolate.
But it may cause dog poisoning as our furry friends cannot metabolize this chemical effectively, which is why if ingested, it may lead to symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting, and I wouldn’t want to scare you; it may even cause severe health concerns or even be lethal for them.
My Dog Ate Chocolate – When to Worry
Experts strictly advise against giving dogs chocolate in any form, whether it be dark, milk, or white chocolate.
But what happens if a dog eats chocolate? There might be no immediate signs of choc toxin in your dog. But if you know that your dog ate chocolate, make sure that you observe the signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs.
What to Do If Your Dog Eats Chocolate?
No matter how careful you are, your dog might eat up chocolate lying around the house. Or perhaps, your dog ate chocolate chip cookies without you knowing.
You’d obviously panic and think, “what to do if my dog eats chocolate.” In this case, we have prepared a step-by-step guide for you, so you know exactly what to do if your dog has ingested chocolate:
Step One (a) – Use the Dog Chocolate Toxicity Calculator
Since there may be no immediate signs, the first step is to calculate the level of theobromine in the chocolate that your dog ate with a dog chocolate toxicity calculator.
Step One (b) – Rush Immediately to the Vet if…
If your dog is very young, pregnant, or has underlying health concerns, don’t delay and immediately take it to the vet!
Step Two (a) – Lookout for symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs
If the levels on the dog chocolate toxicity calculator are under the safe range, you’d still stay alert and look out for any symptoms of dog poisoning.
Some of these alarming signs include:
- Racing heartbeat
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Panting
- Excessive thirst
- Increased urination
- Restlessness
If you notice any of these signs, rush to the vet immediately.
Step Two (b) – Unsafe Toxicity Range
If the levels on the dog chocolate toxicity calculator are in the unsafe range, don’t want the symptoms to show and rum immediately to the vet to get their stomach cleaned out.
This is because there might also be no warning signs. In this case, if you know the amount of chocolate your dog has consumed and the dog’s approximate weight, you can use the dog chocolate toxicity calculator to find out whether you should worry.
This is one of the most accurate ways to determine the theobromine range in the chocolate your dog has consumed.
How To Use The Dog Chocolate Toxicity Calculator?
To find out whether the theobromine levels in the chocolate your dog ate are under the safe range, you need to enter the following:
- The weight of your dog in kg
- The type of chocolate eaten (milk chocolate/ dark chocolate/ white chocolate)
- The amount of chocolate your dog ate in grams
The chocolate toxicity dog calculator will come up with results almost immediately. It will have three numbers:
- Total methylxanthine dose — The added doses of theobromine and caffeine, per 1 kilogram or 1 pound of the body weight
- Total methylxanthine received — Total harmful substances received in the entire body.
- Dose of theobromine/caffeine — Amount of substance received, per 1 kilogram or 1 pound of the body weight.
- Prognosis — The expected state of your pet.
You would want to save these results for showing to your vet. The prognosis is the result most relevant for you, which will tell you whether the theobromine levels are in the safe or the unsafe range.
How Much Chocolate Can a Dog Eat?
Since pets metabolize foods differently than we do, chocolate can be lethal for them. You should not even give a small bit of chocolate to your furry pets.
How much chocolate can a dog have? A dose of less than 15.01 mg/kg or 7.5 mg/lb of theobromine falls in the safe range.
In simpler terms, 1 piece of semi-sweet chocolate is safe for a 3kg (6lb) dog.
For a bigger dog in the range of 15-17 kg (33-37.5lb), 7 pieces of semi-sweet chocolate are the safe range.
Although it is recommended not to knowingly give chocolate to your dog since you do not know the biological and metabolizing happening inside their bodies.
The dog chocolate toxicity calculator can also help with calculating the theobromine range in cakes, desserts, cookies, and chocolate specific to your dog’s weight.
How to Prevent Your Dog from Eating Chocolate
Small amounts of milk chocolate or chocolate cake may not be harmful to larger dogs; experts still emphasize not to give chocolate to your dogs, even as occasional treats.
These tips can help you prevent your dog from eating chocolate:
Don’t Leave It Lying Around
Make sure you keep chocolate out of your pet’s reach. This includes chocolate mix, cocoa powder, cakes, and chocolate bars that your dog cannot reach.
Don’t keep it on countertops, and not even in purses. You should be extra careful around the holiday season when trick or treat baskets or treats may be lying around the house.
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Train your Dog
Teach the command ‘leave it.’ Experts have found it very effective in preventing pets from eating anything that falls on the ground or is within reach.
You can teach them this command with a soft toy and use the reward method to train them.
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Finally
Your dog ate chocolate, and now you’re franticly searching on how much chocolate is toxic to dogs. The chocolate toxicity calculator for dogs is a great way to determine whether the chocolate consumed falls in a safe range.
You should also be aware of the symptoms of poisoning in dogs so you can rush your pet to the vet if you feel it is a reaction to chocolate consumed.
