Pet Emergency

[BFloFoxRider.]

hey im gonna look it up but does anyone know of a something to give a dog if they ate too much chocolate?
one of our weiner dogs decided to eat a 2 lb box of sees chocolates by herself and her stomach is huge... im sure she gained at least two pounds... anyone have any ideas?
my grandpa thinks if we dont do anyhting that shell die in a few days...

[OMR]

“My dog ate chocolate, is he going to die?”

by Sgt. Dale Kelly

Veterinary Clinic

You wake up on Easter morning and you head downstairs to watch the children open their Easter baskets. You stop in utter disbelief when you see that your mischievous puppy Spot has beaten everyone to the baskets and has eaten the first 16 ounce chocolate rabbit and has just started on the second one. You have heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, but is it true? What should you do next?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. It is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine.

Toxic levels

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine, 100-150 mg per pound of your animal, to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

White chocolate contains 1 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is 200 ounces of white chocolate per pound of body weight. For example 250 pounds of white chocolate will cause signs of nervous system poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds in a 10-pound dog.

Milk chocolate contains 60 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight. For example one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog; one-half pound in a 10-pound dog. Keep in mind that the average chocolate bar contains two to three ounces of milk chocolate. It would take two to three candy bars to produce toxicity in a 10-pound dog.

Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg per ounce of chocolate. The toxic dose is 0.3 ounces of semisweet chocolate per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 of pound for a 10-pound dog.

Baking chocolate contains 450 mg per ounce of theobromine. The toxic dose is 0.1 ounces of baking chocolate per pound of body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

It would seem that it is all right to let your dog have a chocolate treat every now and then if it is the right kind and it is not very often.

The problem with feeding a dog chocolate as a treat is that it develops a liking for chocolate. Since dogs do not seem to be as sensitive to bitter tastes as humans, they may then eat the more toxic baker's chocolate or they may consume a toxic amount of milk or semi-sweet chocolate if it can get into an improperly stored supply.

What are the signs of toxicity?

Signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate ingestion.

* Excitement / nervousness / trembling
* Vomiting / diarrhea
* Excessive thirst / sometimes excessive urination.
* Muscle spasms
* Seizures
* Coma (rare)
* Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities.

How is chocolate toxicity treated?

If you suspect that your pet has eaten chocolate (more than the stray chocolate chip that fell on the floor), call your veterinarian for advice.

The toxicity of theobromine is dose dependent. This means that the size of your pet, the type of chocolate, and quantity of chocolate determine if or how toxic it is for your pet.

There is no specific antidote for theobromine toxicity. Medical treatments are supportive, and may include all or some of the following:

* IV fluids - to prevent dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, and /or increased urination, and to "flush" the theobromine out of the system.

* Emetics - medications that induce vomiting. Used when the ingestion of chocolate is within four hours. Up to eight hours post chocolate ingestion may be effective.

* Activated charcoal - for ingestion greater than four hours prior to treatment, or for patients that show continued signs of toxicity.

* Anti-seizure medications - for patients having seizures and/or muscle tremors.

* Cardiac medications - for patients exhibiting irregular heart rates or rhythms.

What is the prognosis for chocolate toxicosis?
The expected course of chocolate toxicosis is 12 to 36 hours depending on the dosage and effectiveness of treatment. Prognosis is good if the chocolate is removed within two to four hours of ingestion. Prognosis is guarded in animals with advanced signs such as seizures and serious heart dysfunction.

A National Animal Poison Control Center Hotline is available at 1-800-548-2423.

There is a modest fee for the service to support the Animal Poison Control Center.

Good luck!

[xhuskr]

call the vet ASAP....from what I know chocolate can kill dogs.........but here's a link that may help.
http://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/...oisoning.shtml

[granny ring]

Beat me to it. Hope things work out OK.

[BFloFoxRider.]

thanks
im not surwe what to do now
it says lethal for one pound of milk chocolate for a 20 pound dog... shes 16-18 pounds and ate twice that
she wont stop throwing up and i think im gonna try to find an open pet hospital

thanks again

new question..
anyone know the number to a 24 hour pet hospital in the claremont/la verne/upland area?

[Dino Brown]

I would go to the VET! At least call them. There are compounds in chocolate that are toxic to dogs in large quantities.

While a piece of chocolate won't kill a dog- 2 pounds of it may!!!! The fact, that this compound (a stimulant) will be circulating inside of this dog for the better part of a day.... Not good!

Call the vet!

WOW! When I began typing my response (delayed by a PM) there were ZERO posts. By the time I clicked the return button, every vet in STR chimed in with some good advice. Good job people!

[Big Guy]

Let us know how it goes, good luck

[BFloFoxRider.]

well, my grandma is on hold with the e.r. and my grandpa is freaking out saying we're not spending any money on them and if they die oh well
so my grandma is calling to see what we can do and if worse comes to worse she'll take them. we have three dogs... together they weigh around 35 pounds and we're not sure which one ate how much.
one of them her stomach is huge like very noticable difference, the bigger dog's stomach is hard like she had some but not swollen and the little dogs stomach is less hard than all of theirs

wtf my granmda is telling me to give them 1 tblsp of hydrogen peroxide she said the vet told her to do that
wow interesting ill try it though and let everyone know

[Vickie]

Chocolate is poisen to dogs....you may want to consider calling your vet, it would be better to be safe than sorry.....

Here is just a little of what this URL http://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/...oisoning.shtml

had to say -
Why is Chocolate Lethal?

Chocolate contains theobromine. A naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine that is poisonous to dogs.
Symptoms of Chocolate Dog Ingestion and Poisoning

You can recognize that your dog has eaten a toxic dose of chocolate from the symptoms. Within the first few hours, the evidence includes vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes and there's increased absorption of the toxic substance, you'll see an increase in the dog's heart rate, which can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.
This can lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.
How Much Chocolate Is Deadly?

If a 50-pound dog eats a teaspoonful of milk chocolate, it's not going to cause serious problems. However, if that same dog gorges himself on a two-layer chocolate cake, his stomach will feel more than upset and soon it's likely he'll be vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.

[Pickettt]

Brandon,
My wife is a vet, and she wants to know how long ago this occurred.

[RustyIron]

GO TO THE EMERGENCY VET

These are the folks I used. They're there 24/7


Orange County Emergency Pet Clinic
12750 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843
714 537-3032

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by Pickettt

Brandon,
My wife is a vet, and she wants to know how long ago this occurred.

well, we left the house around 3 and got home about 730. so some time between 3 and 730

[Pickettt]

We are referring to one affected dog, or several?

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by Pickettt

We are referring to one affected dog, or several?

all threee were together
their weenie dogs. one is just over 10 pounds i believe and the other is about 16-18 then the fat one is like 22 or so.
the 16-18 pound her stomach is huge! the other dogs are just a bit stiff in the stomach area
we gave them a tbspn of hydrogen peroxide so they would throw it up and so far it seems to be working

[Pickettt]

Would you guestimate that they've thrown up about 2 or more pounds of material?

By the way, the nearest emergency vet to you is right off the 10 fwy at Euclid, on the southwest cornet of 7th st and Euclid in Upland

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by Pickettt

Would you guestimate that they've thrown up about 2 or more pounds of material?

By the way, the nearest emergency vet to you is right off the 10 fwy at Euclid, on the southwest cornet of 7th st and Euclid in Upland

ehhh I personally dont think theyve thrown up 2 pounds yet. i think theyve thrown enough up so that they shouldnt die, hopefully. but then again, theyre was alot of throwup but only some was brown and had chocolate chunks in it.

[andy aka rut]

I used to work at a vet clinic. Induce vomiting if you can. What can you use to induce vomiting? Try a tablespoon of Hydrogen Peroxide-No more!!. He/she won't like it so spoon feed it in and hold the mouth shut.

Get the dog in the back yard. Within 15 minutes he/she will be foaming at the mouth and soon vomiting.

Good luck.

[mottmcfly]

Originally Posted by BFloFoxRider.

well, my grandma is on hold with the e.r. and my grandpa is freaking out saying we're not spending any money on them and if they die oh well
so my grandma is calling to see what we can do and if worse comes to worse she'll take them. we have three dogs... together they weigh around 35 pounds and we're not sure which one ate how much.
one of them her stomach is huge like very noticable difference, the bigger dog's stomach is hard like she had some but not swollen and the little dogs stomach is less hard than all of theirs

wtf my granmda is telling me to give them 1 tblsp of hydrogen peroxide she said the vet told her to do that
wow interesting ill try it though and let everyone know

Not sure where you live but TLC should be open. We've taken our animals there and trust them.

TLC Pet Medical Centers
South Pasadena

1412 Huntington Drive
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Phone: 626.441.8555
FAX: 626.441.8525

Or

8725 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: 310.859.4852
FAX: 310.289.855

Best of luck

Mott

[ArrrKelly]

Your dog just ate a potentially lethal amount of poison, and you are on a mountain bike message board looking for advice? GCBY.