Pets and Chocolate Don't Mix
Children love to share their joy with their pets, but when it comes to Halloween treats, sharing chocolate with pets isn't a good idea.
Even small amounts of theobromine, an ingredient in chocolate, can cause vomiting in pets. Larger doses can be fatal. While most pet owners expect a dog to develop an upset stomach after eating a large amount of chocolate, few realize it could mean death.
Cats have much different eating habits and seldom are poisoned by chocolate.
The lethal dose of theobromine depends on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate. Ounce for ounce, baking chocolate has six to nine times as much of the substance as milk chocolate does. The best amount of chocolate for pets is none, but if some candy is accidentally eaten, most veterinarians consider one ounce per pound of dog weight to be the safest limit. That is, a 10-pound dog may be able to tolerate 10 ounces of chocolate without becoming seriously ill.
While a very small amount of chocolate may not harm some dogs, it's safest to avoid giving it to them at all. If an accident occurs, a veterinarian should be consulted. Treatment may require inducing vomiting, stabilizing the animal's heartbeat and respiration, controlling seizures and slowing the absorption of theobromine. If the animal already is comatose, its stomach may need to be pumped.
That's a sad way to end Halloween, so think about this situation in advance, and keep all chocolates out of the reach of the family dog.
Published 10/12/07
