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Dog and
Chocolate
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It seems that chocolate makes the
world go around and in almost every household you will find this
delicious delicacy. Eating chocolate seems to be the great
American pastime. It gives us a sense of well being and is a
favorite comfort food. In over sixty percent of the homes that
have this delicious treat available, you will also find a hungry
and curious dog.
Unfortunately that combination does not mix well. So what can
chocolate do to your dog, and why is it considered poison?
Dogs and puppies do not have the ability as we humans do to
digest a simple chemical found in chocolate called "Theobromine".
When theobromine is ingested by an animal it affects are
horrific on the central nervous system and the cardiovascular
system. This effect of the chemical has a very harsh effect on
the animal’s body causing severe trauma and oftentimes death.
How much chocolate is too much? It is important to know just how
much chocolate can produce toxic effects on your dog and that
amount is one hundred to one hundred and fifty milligrams. That
measurement does not mean much to most people, so to simplify
it, if you have a twenty pound dog that means to reach the level
of becoming poisoned they have to eat approximately ten ounces,
depending on the type of chocolate. Bakers chocolate and
unsweetened chocolate are harsher types for any dog to eat only
because the chocolate is purer therefore they contain a higher
dosage of Theobromine than the regular candy bar type chocolate.
If you suspect your animal has eaten chocolate what signs do you
look for? Toxic signs occur quickly so even if there is any
question as to whether your animal has consumed chocolate or
not, take the animal to the vet. Do not wait to see if the
animal will be alright because any delay in treatment can be
devastating. Your dog, if untreated, can quickly go into
convulsions, have arrhythmia, stop breathing and go into a coma.
First your dog may start vomiting on its own. If not you can
induce vomiting with a hydrogen peroxide solution of half
peroxide and half water.
The animal will also experience severe diarrhea which can cause
the animal to dehydrate quickly.
Seek medical help immediately. Be sure to take the vet the
unfinished chocolate if any is left and any wrappings from the
chocolate. This will help the vet to identify the type of
chocolate and the concentration of the candy.
The vet will begin treatment and induce vomiting
if vomiting has not already occurred. Usually the
vet will use activated charcoal to induce vomiting.
The vet will also start an IV for hydration and
also to administer medication. The vet will also
administer anti-seizure medication because animals
that have ingested chocolate have a ninety eight
percent chance of having severe seizures. If your
animal is having extreme symptoms or cardiac problems
he will easily be able to give those cardiac medications
through the IV. The stay after this treatment in
mild cases is usually two days, although in more
extreme instances the hospital stay for your animal
could be weeks.
The best medicine in these cases is prevention.
If sweets such as chocolate are a frequent snack
in your household take care to remove them from
anywhere your pet happens to be traveling in your
home. An ounce of prevention "is" in this
case, worth a pound of cure. 
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