This post is part of a new weekday series on the JustAnswer blog, highlighting an informational exchange with an expert on JustAnswer. We hope the answer from our archives helps you, and please pass it along to others!
Q: How harmful is chocolate for dogs to eat?
A: In general, the darker the chocolate, the more poisonous it is. This could make baker’s chocolate the most dangerous, followed by semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
Methylxanthine (the toxic components in chocolate) at doses from 20-40 mg per kilogram of body weight can result in stomach upset (vomiting and diarrhea). Doses above 40 are potentially going to cause toxicity that is more severe and would require a visit to the emergency room — such as severe heart arrhythmias or blood pressure problems.
Example: If a German Shepherd at 106 lbs. consumed 20 milk chocolate eggs (1 ounce each), the dog probably got around 26 mg per kilogram of body weight. You could see mild agitation/hyperactivity in the few hours following ingestion, but it would be expected to resolve without treatment. (Robert Van Hoy, DVM)
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is it weird if i feel comeellpd to post comments on 6 year old blog posts?ill refrain. but only because i haven’t the time.