Toy Poodles: Chocolate Poisoning

If you enjoy eating chocolate, probably you will remember to give your Toy Poodles their own share of the sweet goodness chocolates offer. A very small tidbit of chocolate won't kill a dog neither cause serious harm to his health. But take note, once your Toy Poodles have tasted chocolate, they will definitely want some more. However, too much chocolate is not good for your dogs - it's bad actually.

Chocolate, though safe and enjoyed by humans, can cause toxicity in dogs. It contains theobromine known to affect the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. If your dog has eaten too much chocolate, he will likely show signs such as vomiting, diarrhea or restlessness. Increased heart rate also occurs as the problem progresses. This will then result to arrthymia, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting. Symptoms will begin to appear as early as two hours after ingestion or as long as 24 hours and will take up to three days to recover. However if left untreated, the problem will further lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death. Yes, death so be careful with what you feed your furry four-legged friend.

If you suspect or you know that your dog has ingested too much chocolate, no need to wait for the symptoms to appear before you take a step. Contact your vet immediately and discuss your problem. If discovered immediately, about two hours after ingestion, poison can be eliminated through induced vomiting. But if it has been longer than two hours and signs have appeared, treatments include administration of activated charcoal and IV fluids. Activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin while IV fluids, oxygen therapy and intravenous medications are needed to protect the heart.

Not all chocolate is the same. Some contain only small amount of theobromine while some has large amount of this toxic. To find out how much is too much and what type is safe for your dog to eat, here is the list...

White chocolate. The white chocolate has the least amount of theobromine - 1mg per ounce.

Hot chocolate. 12 - 13 mg per ounce

Milk chocolate. 44 - 66 mg per ounce

unsweetened baking chocolate. 450 mg per ounce

Cacao meal. 300 - 900 mg per ounce

Cacao beans. 300 - 1200 per ounce

As owner, it is your responsibility to prevent your dog from being poisoned. Keep the cholate out of reach of your smart Toy Poodles and as much as possible never give chocolate as a treat. Despite their pitiful begging, don't ever give in to them. Don't feel guilty for depriving them joys of eating chocolate. After all, you're doing this for their own good, right?

Richard Cussons writes articles including articles about Toy Poodles. Check out Toy Poodle information at poodlesavvy.com.

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