Emergency Treatment for a Dog That Has Eaten Chocolate
I love my dog - you love your dog! Dogs have not gained the title "man's best friends" for nothing thus they are showered with love and given the best care. Due to the close bond and the love humans have for these animals, dogs will be provided the best food and all the comforts imaginable to ensure their well being. As a bonus, pet parents would indulge the pet with a treat every now and then. A dog with a dry kibble diet would certainly love the taste of human food. When begging for food, dogs can be hard-to-refuse con artist so that the owner would have no choice but to share the food with the pet. Some owner may not be aware of the fact that some human foods have dangerous effects to the pet. Chocolate is one of the people food that have poisonous effects on dogs.
Dogs are known to be voracious eaters. The dog's indiscriminate eating habits can be a cause of an owner's consternation. Because dogs have developed a taste for human food, even well fed ones would have the tendency to filch and eat these foods whenever there is a chance. Knowing that chocolate is dangerous to dogs, what would you do if what remained of the 10 lbs chocolate bar is only the foil wrapper as the dog has devoured the melt in the mouth chocolate?
Dogs must never be allowed to go near chocolates. Chocolates contain Theobromine, the chemical that cannot be metabolized by dogs. This chemical cause the poisoning. However, due to the fact that different kinds of chocolates contain different levels of this toxic substance, not all chocolates ingested by the dog would result to its death. Poisoning will also depend on the amount and kind of chocolate ingested as well as on the weight of the dog.
Owners need not worry if a large dog has ingested a bar of milk chocolate. The Theobromine would not be enough to poison the dog.
The scenario would change if your dog has eaten baking chocolate or dark chocolate as these types have high levels of Theobromine. Dogs that have eaten chocolates would show different reactions as Theobromine would affect the nervous system. You can start treating the pet at home. Give your dog hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Activated charcoal or blackened toast can be safely given after the dog had vomited. Chocolate poisoning requires urgent treatment as there is no known antidote for Theobromine. You should not be complacent if your dog is not showing signs of poisoning as some dogs would not be affected at once by the toxic substance - take the pet to the vet's.
Dogs are known to be voracious eaters. The dog's indiscriminate eating habits can be a cause of an owner's consternation. Because dogs have developed a taste for human food, even well fed ones would have the tendency to filch and eat these foods whenever there is a chance. Knowing that chocolate is dangerous to dogs, what would you do if what remained of the 10 lbs chocolate bar is only the foil wrapper as the dog has devoured the melt in the mouth chocolate?
Dogs must never be allowed to go near chocolates. Chocolates contain Theobromine, the chemical that cannot be metabolized by dogs. This chemical cause the poisoning. However, due to the fact that different kinds of chocolates contain different levels of this toxic substance, not all chocolates ingested by the dog would result to its death. Poisoning will also depend on the amount and kind of chocolate ingested as well as on the weight of the dog.
Owners need not worry if a large dog has ingested a bar of milk chocolate. The Theobromine would not be enough to poison the dog.
The scenario would change if your dog has eaten baking chocolate or dark chocolate as these types have high levels of Theobromine. Dogs that have eaten chocolates would show different reactions as Theobromine would affect the nervous system. You can start treating the pet at home. Give your dog hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Activated charcoal or blackened toast can be safely given after the dog had vomited. Chocolate poisoning requires urgent treatment as there is no known antidote for Theobromine. You should not be complacent if your dog is not showing signs of poisoning as some dogs would not be affected at once by the toxic substance - take the pet to the vet's.
About the Author:
It is not always easy to know what to do if your dog eats chocolate. While this article have given you some knowledge. More information about foods that are toxic to dogs can be found at Sarah's Dogs.
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