Most people who have pets know that chocolate is toxic to dogs. It is the most well-known toxin as well as a very common one. Chocolate is also toxic to cats, though we do not see our feline friends ingesting chocolate as often as our pups. But why is chocolate toxic?
The part of chocolate we worry about in dogs is the methylxanthine component. There are two different methylxanthines in chocolate—caffeine and theobromine. Both are toxic to dogs and vary in amounts based on the type of chocolate. If your pet ingests chocolate, the first question from anyone on the veterinary staff is “what kind?” This information will determine what symptoms we might see and what kind of treatment may be needed.
Dark chocolate, cocoa powder and cocoa beans are the worst types of ingestions. These contain much higher methylxanthine, sometimes even 20 times the amount per ounce as other types of chocolate! The amount of chocolate ingested is also key to determining if treatment is needed or not. White chocolate contains very little cocoa so we generally do not worry about toxicity but will often see gastrointestinal upset due to its high fat content. Cocoa bean hulls and cocoa mulch can also contain high levels of methylxanthine.
Symptoms with chocolate ingestion vary from mild issues to life-threatening. There are five broad categories of symptoms we may see—no symptoms, gastrointestinal upset, cardiovascular effects, tremors/seizures and death. Depending on calculations of how much methylxanthines per kilogram of body weight, we assume which category an animal may fall into. Even before we gather that specific information, we have already gotten to work on the first step of treatment: decontamination.
As with most toxins, the first step is to induce vomiting. This can only be done for up to two hours post ingestion. Sometimes we will attempt to induce vomiting later than that if there has been a large amount ingested. If we are expecting gastrointestinal upset, we will often send the animal home with supportive care medications. If the ingestion was large enough to fall into one of the other categories, then we usually recommend hospitalization and monitoring. It is important to note that caffeine gets reabsorbed into the blood stream from the bladder so any dog that ingests chocolate should go for frequent walks so that they urinate out the caffeine instead of reabsorbing it.
With the holidays around the corner, the safest thing to do is to keep any chocolate on high surfaces or in locked cabinets where pets cannot gain access to it. If your pet does ingest any type of chocolate, please reach out to your veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian as quickly as possible. As with most toxins, early intervention is key to successful treatment!