Chocolate poisoning in dogs, how to react?

What are the symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs?

In the event of chocolate ingestion, symptoms appear in two stages and are of different natures.

Very quickly after ingestion (less than two hours), the first digestive signs appear in dogs that have consumed chocolate in toxic doses:

Digestive symptoms within the first 4 hours

1. Excessive, candle-like salivation
2. Nausea and vomiting
3. Profuse diarrhoea
4. Abdominal pain and spasms

These symptoms can be more or less violent. However, they are indicative of confirmed poisoning and should be taken very seriously.

Cardiac and respiratory symptoms after 4 hours

More than 4 hours after ingestion, your dog may show cardiac and respiratory signs. These symptoms only appear once the lethal toxic quantity has been ingested.

1. Shortness of breath, effort intolerance
2. Rapid shallow breathing (tachypnoea)
3. Malaise, syncope or lipothymia

Heart problems are the result of a reaction to theobromine, the toxic substance in chocolate. The higher the cocoa content of chocolate, the higher the concentration of theobromine and the greater the risk to your dog.

Neurological problems such as spasms, seizures or coma can sometimes complete the clinical picture.

What should I do if my dog ate chocolate?

Whether the ingestion is deliberate or accidental, you need to react quickly. What you do depends largely on how soon you realise your dog has eaten the chocolate.

The chocolate was ingested less than 2 hours ago

If your dog has just eaten the chocolate in the last few minutes, it is possible to make him vomit.

However, you cannot do this yourself. A vet will make your pet vomit, using appropriate injections.

The purpose of inducing vomiting is to provoke regurgitation of the chocolate and limit the quantity of poison that could pass into the bloodstream and cause intoxication.

If the chocolate was ingested more than 2 hours ago

After 2 hours, there is no point in making your dog vomit, as most of the chocolate has already entered the bowel and gastric emptying will be of no benefit.

Your first step should therefore be to estimate the amount of chocolate ingested, the type of chocolate and relate this information to your dog's weight. To make your task easier, we've provided a chocolate toxicity calculator for dogs. This handy tool lets you know instantly if your dog is in life-threatening danger.

If our calculator tells you that the dangerous dose has been exceeded, you should quickly schedule a veterinary consultation. We remind you that our home vets can treat your dog effectively. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

Why is chocolate poisoning a vet emergency?

If your dog has ingested a fatal dose of chocolate, his prognosis is life-threatening. The main lethal consequences are cardiac and vascular disorders caused by theobromine, a molecule related to caffeine.

Here are the main complications that can lead to your pet's death:

1. Syncope, cardiac arrest
2. Coma, bradycardia and cerebral hypoxia
3. Convulsions, coma

Consequently, if your dog has eaten a high dose of chocolate and is showing clinical signs as described above, you should seek urgent medical attention from the out of hours vet in London.

During the consultation, intensive care will be provided to try to stabilise your dog and help eliminate the poison:

1. Oxygen therapy
2. Intravenous infusion
3. Administration of intra-lipid by vein (chelating agent)

Treatment is supplemented by symptomatic therapy, depending on your dog's condition:

1. Anti-vomiting treatment in the event of vomiting
2. Anti-spasmodic treatment for diarrhoea
3. Diazepam-based treatment for seizures.

In any case, if your dog starts to show worrying signs after eating chocolate, we strongly recommend that you contact us as soon as possible. Our triage teams are here to listen to you and can help you manage the situation and optimise your dog's chances.

How can chocolate poisoning be avoided in dogs?

To prevent your dog from becoming a victim of chocolate poisoning, the most reliable solution is to forbid him access to chocolate. To do this, keep chocolate bars, chocolate sweets and cakes out of his reach, in a cupboard or in the fridge.

Never give your dog chocolate as a treat. There are many substitutes to reward or please your dog.

The critical periods of the year are Easter and Christmas, when there are plenty of chocolates to tempt your dog: Easter eggs on an egg hunt, chocolate Father Christmas under the tree. Be extremely vigilant in the run-up to these festivities.

If your dog eats chocolate despite all these precautions, act quickly and ask a vet to make him vomit.