Why Chocolates Should Not Be Given To Dogs
Dogs are probably the most loved pets. Pet owners unaware of the dangerous effect of some people food to animals would share whatever they are eating with the pet. It is really quite perplexing how a perfectly safe food for humans can be poisonous to dogs. Humans and dogs are believed to have many genetic similarities but they differ in many ways as well. In spite of the similarities, dogs, unlike their human friends cannot tolerate chocolates. Not many pet owners are aware of the toxic effect of chocolates to their pets. Humans get a lot of benefits from chocolates. Chocolates and dogs though is a bad combination.
Chocolate, the world’s most loved treat is dangerous to dogs because of its theobromine content. Cocoa beans from where chocolates are derived contains the substance theobromine. This chemical acts as a stimulant and has the effect of increasing the frequency of urination and affecting the central nervous system as well as the heart muscles. Unlike humans, a dog’s system does not have the ability to digest this substance. Continued consumption will increase the accumulation of the substance in the dog’s system until the high level of toxic concentration causes a variety of medical concern.
Pet owners have this habit of sharing anything they eat with the pet thus a slice of chocolate cake or a bite of the chocolate bar will be tossed to the dog. No signs of poisoning will be noticed if the dog has consumed small amount of chocolate. A good news to dog owners that are unaware of the harmful effects of chocolates to the dog is the fact that the toxicity of this food is dose dependent so that the pet has to consume from 100 to 150 milligrams of chocolate per kilogram of body weight before the pet will be affected. The level poisoning would depend on the type of chocolate consumed. The toxicity level is much lower in white chocolates because this type of chocolate contains very little theobromine. Because of the low theobromine content, a dog has to consume 200 ounces of white chocolates before clinical signs of poisoning can be noticed. However, this is not so with milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate as it contains more of the dangerous theobromine chemical. The baking chocolate is considered to be the most dangerous among all types of chocolates. Dog owners don’t normally give the dog baking chocolate but knowing the voracious appetite of these animals, it is still possible for the dog to gorge on the dangerous food. If this happens, the dog must be taken to the vet’s at once. It is always good to know what to do if your dog has eaten chocolate.
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Tags: dog chocolate, dog eat chocolate, dogs, why can't dogs eat chocolate