Halloween has come and gone and sometime in the craziness of handing out candy to the last trick or treater the candy bowl was never put away. It is still about a quarter of the way full with fun sized chocolate bars. You had been planning on enjoying those yourself the next day, but through the night, a thief gets to them first. The thief has four legs and answers to the name Harper.
A hypothetical scenario, but one that is all too common. Most people who have a dog in their household have heard that chocolate is dangerous to their little friend. But the question is how dangerous? The short answer is very dangerous and chocolate should always be kept out of 'nose and paw' reach.
Recent studies have revealed that a little chocolate is actually healthy to people, but there are two substances in chocolate that are toxic to dogs. These are: Theobromine and caffeine. The fruit of the cacao tree is from where we get chocolate. Caffeine in any combination is toxic to your dog; so don't let Harper lick the bottom of your coffee mug. There is more theobromine in chocolate than caffeine and because of the higher concentration, the theobromine is the main substance that is going to make Harper sick if he eats a bag of mini snickers bars.
So, What Exactly Does Chocolate Do to Harper?
Both caffeine and theobromine act as a stimulant and will negatively affect Harper's nervous and cardiovascular systems. Ingestion can lead to seizures and depending on other conditions in Harper that you may be unaware, be fatal. Nausea, vomiting and an increased blood pressure are other unpleasant side effects Harper will most assuredly experience. What makes theobromine so toxic to dogs is their inability to cannot break down the chemical as rapidly or easily as can his human. The half-life of this substance is approximately 17.5 hours.
There is some good news, if Harper gobbled up a single chocolate chip that fell on the ground; you don't immediately have to start panicking. Depending on the size and health of your dog, and the type of chocolate chip, it will likely take more than a single chocolate chip to cause serious damage to your dog's system.
What Should You Do if Harper Does Get Into Chocolate? Panic?
Harper will not react to all chocolate the same way. The 'safest' chocolate for him to get into is white chocolate. Assuming that Harper is a twenty-pound dog, it would take about two hundred and fifty pounds of white chocolate before it would do serious damage to Harper's system. Because of the heavy concentration of semi-sweet chocolate, this poses a deeper threat to Harper than do milk chocolate and white chocolates. Harper could eat only twenty ounces to cause an adverse event in Harper. One third of a pound of sweet cocoa is the amount that it will take to cause damage and only two ounces of baking chocolate. If Harper gets into lower doses of chocolate then these, still call your veterinarian for recommendations of what to do, it is not worth the risk to 'wait and find out' if he will be okay. It is good to be aware that cocoa bean shell mulch is also highly toxic to dogs.
Regardless what your emergency is with Harper, although you might be inclined to freak out, don't for Harper's sake. Bearing in mind that dogs react to your emotions, if he senses fear this will kick-start his fight or flight reaction, which can exacerbate any reaction. Stay calm, assess the situation and when in doubt, if you are unable to do this, call your spouse who may be less inclined to create a situation that doesn't need creating.
Contacting your veterinarian is the first thing you should do if your dog gets into chocolate. Tell him or her what kind of chocolate Harper got into, and how much, and your veterinarian will tell you what to do from there. He or she might recommend inducing vomiting within the first couple hours of Harper's ingestion of chocolate.
Is There Any Fun Treat You Can Give to Harper?
Thinking that if a lot of chocolate is toxic, a small amount must surely be okay for Harper, right? After all, given the amount of chocolate listed above, a little nibble can't hurt him, right? Actually, this is not the case. Like you and I, once we get a hankering for something we seek it out, don't we? Harper is no different. Introducing him to a sliver will have him sniffing it out and sneaking it when you aren't looking or are otherwise vigilant in keeping him safe. Almost like a bee sting, the first time can cause a seizure, the second or third time can be fatal. It is just best not to go 'go down this road'. You enjoy your chocolate and if you want to on occasion give Harper a treat, here's one to try:
Take a tortilla, put on it a pat of melted butter. In a separate bowl mix together half a teaspoon or cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of sugar (preferably brown). Sprinkle the mixture on top of the tortilla. Place in the oven at 350° F for three minutes and then set it on the counter to cool. When it is cool enough that you can keep your hand on it for ten seconds without burning yourself, cut it up in small triangles and put them in Harper's dish.
You needn't do this frequently. In fact, once a month or less frequently is about all the sugar Harper needs in his diet.
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