# Dog Got Candy



## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

You all know them 1-2lb bags of candy you can buy for halloween, right? Well I bought 4 bags yesterday (hot tomalies, dots, rolos, peanut [email protected]), put them in a bowl and stored that bowl on top of my microwave, damn near out of my reach. Needles to say I received absolutely zero trick or treaters so that bowl remained pretty full.

What the kids didn't get the dog did.. The dog ate every single rolo and [email protected] and their wrappers, as well as quite a few dots and hot tomalies. My question is, should I be concerned about my dog? I mean, this dog gets into everything. There is no end with him. But this is the first time he has eaten this much chocolate, as well as every wrapper. If there is a concern, is there anything I can do to help him.

Thanks
Adam


----------



## bigboy56073 (Oct 3, 2006)

Veterinary Clinic

You wake up on Easter morning and you head downstairs to watch the children open their Easter baskets. You stop in utter disbelief when you see that your mischievous puppy Spot has beaten everyone to the baskets and has eaten the first 16 ounce chocolate rabbit and has just started on the second one. You have heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, but is it true? What should you do next?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. It is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine.

Toxic levels

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine, 100-150 mg per pound of your animal, to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

White chocolate contains 1 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is 200 ounces of white chocolate per pound of body weight. For example 250 pounds of white chocolate will cause signs of nervous system poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds in a 10-pound dog.

Milk chocolate contains 60 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight. For example one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog; one-half pound in a 10-pound dog. Keep in mind that the average chocolate bar contains two to three ounces of milk chocolate. It would take two to three candy bars to produce toxicity in a 10-pound dog.

Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg per ounce of chocolate. The toxic dose is 0.3 ounces of semisweet chocolate per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 of pound for a 10-pound dog.

Baking chocolate contains 450 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is 0.1 ounces of baking chocolate per pound of body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

It would seem that it is all right to let your dog have a chocolate treat every now and then if it is the right kind and it is not very often.

The problem with feeding a dog chocolate as a treat is that it develops a liking for chocolate. Since dogs do not seem to be as sensitive to bitter tastes as humans, they may then eat the more toxic baker's chocolate or they may consume a toxic amount of milk or semi-sweet chocolate if it can get into an improperly stored supply.

What are the signs of toxicity?

Signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate ingestion.

* Excitement / nervousness / trembling

* Vomiting / diarrhea

* Excessive thirst / sometimes excessive urination.

* Muscle spasms

* Seizures

* Coma (rare)

* Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities.

How is chocolate toxicity treated?

If you suspect that your pet has eaten chocolate (more than the stray chocolate chip that fell on the floor), call your veterinarian for advice.

The toxicity of theobromine is dose dependent. This means that the size of your pet, the type of chocolate, and quantity of chocolate determine if or how toxic it is for your pet.

There is no specific antidote for theobromine toxicity. Medical treatments are supportive, and may include all or some of the following:

* IV fluids - to prevent dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, and /or increased urination, and to "flush" the theobromine out of the system.

* Emetics - medications that induce vomiting. Used when the ingestion of chocolate is within four hours. Up to eight hours post chocolate ingestion may be effective.

* Activated charcoal - for ingestion greater than four hours prior to treatment, or for patients that show continued signs of toxicity.

* Anti-seizure medications - for patients having seizures and/or muscle tremors.

* Cardiac medications - for patients exhibiting irregular heart rates or rhythms.

What is the prognosis for chocolate toxicosis?

The expected course of chocolate toxicosis is 12 to 36 hours depending on the dosage and effectiveness of treatment. Prognosis is good if the chocolate is removed within two to four hours of ingestion. Prognosis is guarded in animals with advanced signs such as seizures and serious heart dysfunction.

A National Animal Poison Control Center Hotline is available at 1-800-548-2423.

There is a modest fee for the service to support the Animal Poison Control Center.


----------



## dogdonthunt (Nov 10, 2005)

just to touch on what he said, my samoyed a while back ate a full pound and a half of chocolate m&ms and what happened was 1. called the vet... they said to just keep an eye on her for awhile and take away her water dish as this will only cause more vomiting, 2 watched dog get repeatedly sick about six times over the period of three or four hours,, ick... 3 vet also said she will be panting and paceing , which happened all night till sometime the next day... 4. was woken up early the next morn by her wanting to go outside... so I opened the door let her out slipped on some shoes and a coat to go stand out there with her and in that lil bit of time she left a good size pile of pastel/brown you now what just out side the the door... guess she really had to go... she was ok after that... bottom line every dog is different so check with the vet... this is just my expirience... oh yeah pastel color cuz yes it was easter... that dog could be a pain in the rear sometimes but I had 14 yrs with her and it still wasnt enough I will always miss her.... R.I.P. Sugar


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

I give Bill the Chessy a little chocolate now and then when I have a candy bar. It's just a little bit, so I don't think it bothers him much. I have recently gotten an email from a friend, that told about a do that got into a canister of raisens and got some sort of raisen poison from them. I guess if they eat anything with a lot of sugar it's not too good.
God bless dogs and the people who love them,
Dan


----------



## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

Everything worked out good with the dog. I didn't feed him yesterday and gave him lots of water as he was a little dehydrated from the runs. He never puked as far as I know. Everything seems normal today. Now what we got to hope for is a decent push of birds into Northern ND so we can do some hunting this weekend.

Thanks for the replies.


----------

