Chocolate Safety for Dogs and Cats

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Signs and Symptoms That Your Pet Ingested Chocolate

If a pet has ingested chocolate, the most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity (such as excitation, restlessness, or panting), tremors and convulsions, seizures, racing heart rate, and arrhythmia.

Why and How is Chocolate Toxic

Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, this chemical is the reason that chocolate is toxic to both dogs and cats. The more theobromine found in a product, the more toxic it is to a pet.

Chocolate Types: From Most Toxic to Least Toxic

Baking chocolate is the most toxic, followed by semisweet/dark chocolate, then milk chocolate, and lastly white chocolate (which contains an insignificant amount of theobromine).

How Much Chocolate Will Poison My Dog or Cat?

Toxic doses of theobromine are 9 milligrams per pound. Meaning that a 20-pound animal would need to eat 8.2 ounces of milk chocolate, or just 0.9 ounces of baking chocolate to achieve a toxic dose.

Reduce the Risk

To help reduce the chance of your pet eating chocolate, be sure to keep chocolate-products in out of reach areas for pets. Cats are more finicky about what they eat and probably won’t eat chocolate that is left out but dogs actually like the smell and taste of chocolate, so you need to be much more careful with them.

What to do if Your Dog or Cat Eats Chocolate

If you suspect or know that your pet has eaten chocolate, it is important to seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

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Summary

While it’s fairly common knowledge that chocolate is bad for dogs, many people don’t realize that chocolate is also bad for cats. 

Learn why chocolate is bad for both dogs and cats, which chocolate is the most dangerous, and signs and symptoms that your pet has ingested chocolate.

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Pet Health Insurance Team