A dog is the favorite pet of pet lovers, and they take good care of dogs to keep them healthy and fit. It is commonly known that chocolate is harmful to the dog, but its extent is not known. No matter how much you supervise your dog, accidents can happen.
It was my holidays last winter when I visited my friend,a huge dog lover. He told me he faced a hard time when his dog ate chocolate despite so much care. I knew that chocolates were not good for dogs, but that day I came to know the extent of the issue.
In this article, we are going to tell you everything about Can Dogs Eat Chocolate and what chocolates can do to your dog.
Why Is Chocolate Bad ForDogs?
Everyone loves chocolate, whether humans or pets, but it must be kept in mind that it is poisonous for the dog and causes unrest. Let’s talk about the reasons.
Here it is important to answer can dog eat cherries? No, cherries are also dangerous for dogs, and as a dog owner, you should be very careful when feeding your dog with cherries. The difference lies in the intensity of the damage.
- The main ingredient in chocolate is theobromine which is more like caffeine; it is dangerous for dogs as they cannot digest theobromine. The ingredient damages the dog’s nervous system, kidneys, and heart.
- No matter which chocolate it is, it contains theobromine, more or less.
- If your dog has consumed chocolates, it can result in blood vomiting, diarrhea, irregular breathing, abnormal heartbeat, etc.
Ways To Prevent Your Dog FromEating Chocolate
As a dog owner, you cannot be around your dog every time, so it is important to learn the ways by which you can stop your dog from eating chocolate. Although consuming a small quantity of chocolate may not cause problems, it is still not recommended for dogs.
1.     Keep Chocolate Away
The first and basic way is to keep chocolate away as far as possible from the dog. Tell your family members about how dangerous it is for the dog. It is impossible not to bring chocolate in your home as kids and adults love chocolates. A possible way is to keep chocolates at a safe distance from dogs like high shelves, locked drawers, safe room.
2.     Training
Giving training to the dog is important as your bond with your dog depends on how well you have trained your dog. Training can be of various kinds like how to live in a house, behave in front of others, time and place to sleep, timings of food, etc. Train your dog about what to eat and what not. Make sure that your dog knows the commands you give; if you know the command to leave, then you are in safe hands.
3.     Get A Crate
Chocolate consumption can result in an accident, so it is important to ensure that your dog stays safe from chocolate. It is practically not possible to supervise your dog all day. We are not saying that you always keep your dog in the crate, but keep your dog in the crate when you are not around. It will keep you satisfied that your dog is safe. Get a crate with room for your dog to stand and lie down. Fill the crate with comfortable bedding and some toys, so your dog does not get bored.
What To Do If Your Dog Eats Chocolate
Even though dog owners try to be with their dogs most of the time, it is practically impossible to look after them constantly. A dog can eat chocolate within seconds, so avoiding such accidents is hard. If your dog has eaten chocolate, you won’t know until your dog starts to show symptoms. We have already mentioned the symptoms above.
1.     Contact Vet Asap
Each chocolate has a different level of theobromine, making chocolate harmful to dogs. In addition, the dog’s size and weight matter greatly in this case.As soon as you realize your dog is in danger, contact your veterinarian or any vet in case your regular vet is unavailable and tell him all about the issue. Tell him all the details on the phone, so your vet knows the extent of the emergency. Moreover, if you have the wrapper of the chocolate, take that with you.
2.     Take Your Dog ToThe Vet
After you have called your vet and told him about the issue, waste no time taking your dog to the vet, it is highly recommended not to give treatment yourself; otherwise, it can further worsen the case.If you take your vet to the clinic within 2 hours after the incident, your vet may induce vomit to take out the poison before it has built up. There are other treatments, too, if the time has passed 2 hours.The other treatments include giving fluids and drugs if your dog is showing severe symptoms. These treatments are called reactive treatments.
How Much Chocolate Can A Dog Eat?
No matter how dangerous chocolate is for the dogs, they somehow manage to eat it. Therefore, it is important to know how much chocolate is not harmful to the dog. Ideally, the amount of chocolate your dog can consume should be zero, but if your dog eats some chocolate in any form, like cookies or any dish, the danger depends on multiple factors.
- The type of chocolate.
- The quantity of chocolate eaten by the dog.
- The size of the dog.
Moreover, it is important to mention that some chocolates like dark chocolateand cocoa chocolate contain a high level of theobromine, making them extremely toxic for dogs. On the other hand, white chocolate and milk chocolate contains relatively less amount of theobromine.
Conclusion
Dogs are precious pets for dog owners, and they go to any extent to ensure their pet is safe and healthy. Keeping your dog safe from chocolate can save a dog owner from many consequences.We have mentioned all the cons of consuming chocolate and how dog owners can conquer the challenge. This is all from today’s topic. If you have any questions, let us know. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
