Dogs and chocolate; how much is too much? A special note with Halloween around the corner!

October 30, 2:51 PMTacoma Dogs ExaminerPenny Eims

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Happy Halloween!!

T. Cassatt

Some may think that dogs have a less than discerning palate. After all, they eat grass, sometimes garbage, and ewww, poop....But, truth be told, many dogs do in fact, enjoy non-dog foods that even we humans consider to be good.

Well, Halloween rolls in tomorrow and there is sure to be a considerable amount of chocolate candy in most households. There may even be candy on sidewalks and roads as the masses of trick-or-treaters hit the streets and their bounty spills over.

So, how concerned should you be if your dog grabs a wayward candybar from the sidewalk or sneaks a treat out of the pantry? Most likely, you don't need to hit the panic button. So many dog owners have the "chocolate is toxic to dogs" fear stamped in their minds that it's easy to panic if a stray M&M finds it's way into their dog's mouth.

Truth be told,  most people won't have the high quality, extra-dark chocolates gracing their pantries for Halloween. Instead, the inexpensive, mass-produced milk chocolates are probably what's in the house right now. This type of chocolate can still be toxic, but it takes a HUGE quantity to cause serious problems.

In fact, TalktotheVet.com reports that the following doses are likely to become toxic in dogs:

• Milk Chocolate 1 oz per 1 lb of body weight
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate 1 oz per 3 lbs of body weight
• Baker's chocolate (very dark, pure chocolate) 1 oz per 9 lbs of body weight

As you can see, it would take a lot of "normal" chocolate to make the typical dog sick. Case in point, if you have a 60 lb dog, it would take 60 ozs of milk chocolate to hit the "toxic" level. And, lucky for us, despite our conviction that dogs lack good judgment when it comes to taste, the sweeter, less expensive chocolate tends to be more enticing to dogs.

So, be mindful of what your dog is picking up and eating, especially when there is chocolate candy around, but don't immediately panic if a miniature candy bar is eaten.

If you do suspect that a large amount of chocolate has been consumed (especially if you own a very small breed of dog) and you observe restlessness, hyper-activity, excessive panting, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors and/or increased urination, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Happy Halloween! If you are interested in receiving future dog related articles, including news, tips and advice, please hit the "Subscribe" button. It's free!

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