By Jeff Kahler, D.V.M.
McClatchy Newspapers
Bonzo has consumed chocolate on several occasions and once put away a bag of Hershey’s Kisses. Jenifer thought chocolate was supposed to be toxic to dogs and wondered why Bonzo did not “at least get sick?”
Well, Jenifer, there is a chemical in chocolate that is toxic to dogs. It’s called theobromine. Dogs are not able to metabolize this chemical quickly enough within their livers, and this can be a problem if they ingest an overwhelming amount of chocolate.
Because the toxicity of theobromine is dependent on a dog’s weight, a smaller dog ingesting the same amount as a bigger dog has a greater chance of toxicity.
Different types of chocolate have different amounts of theobromine. Milk chocolate has less, semisweet has more. So, the higher the cacao content, the more theobromine it contains and the more toxic it is to dogs.
Theobromine is related to caffeine, and the symptoms of chocolate intoxication can resemble excess caffeine intake. Dogs can become extremely agitated, even to the point of uncontrolled trembling. They can appear hypersensitive to noise and hyper-reactive to any external stimuli. With higher levels of intake, dogs can seizure and, in severe cases, death can result. Dogs that have ingested toxic amounts of chocolate can be treated with success if the symptoms are caught early.
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(Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352.)