Happy Halloween and enjoy your time trick or treating with the little ones. This does not include the family dogs. In this article from Modern Dog Magazine, Texas A&M College has some information and facts as to what the chocolate does to our dogs. I found this very interesting. When I was growing up we had a Jack Russell Terrier and he would do all kinds of tricks for a Hershey Kiss; little did I know or for that matter my family know that we were giving him toxic things. We live and learn so now I am passing this information on to you all. Enjoy!
“Chocolate and caffeine belong to a group of plant molecules called methylated xanthine alkaloids, which are commonly found in a variety of foods, drinks and medications,” said Dr. Medora Pashmakova, clinical assistant professor in Emergency/Critical Care Medicine at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
“As stimulants, they cause excitation of the central nervous system, heart rate, and respiratory centers of the brain and can also stimulate the body’s own secretion of adrenaline. And, when in the form of candy and chocolate bars, they taste delicious, which is why dogs love to eat them in such large quantities!”
As a rule of thumb, the higher the cocoa concentration, the more theobromine, which is the active ingredient that is toxic in high doses. Baker’s chocolate, for example, can be particularly concerning, while white chocolate contains no cocoa and is not actually toxic to dogs.
“Once you have identified the amount and type of chocolate ingested, you can do some simple math and find out the ‘milligram per kilogram’ theobromine ingestion for your pet,” said Dr. Pashmakova. “As little as 30 mg/kg of theobromine can cause cardiac stimulation, such as fast heart rate or other arrhythmias.”
No amount of chocolate or caffeine is healthy for your dog to consume, even if it doesn’t result in toxicity, so keep the trick-or-treating baskets out of reach this Halloween.
If you are ever in doubt always feel free to take your dog to the vet or call the ASPCA hotline.