Chocolate is an irresistible delicacy not only for the man, but also for his most faithful friend.
However, the relationship between dogs and chocolate is a dangerous one, as this food - although highly appreciated by the animal - contains a particular substance, theobromine, which is responsible for an intoxication that can even be fatal.
Symptoms and Lethal Dose
Since theobromine is found in cocoa (which is present in different percentages in the various types of chocolate), it is difficult to establish a threshold value beyond which the food is harmful.
Generally, for an 11 kg dog, the signs of toxicity appear after the ingestion of about 200 grams of chocolate; such symptoms include
- He retched,
- diarrhea,
- restlessness,
- heavy breathing,
- muscle tremors
- convulsions.
In severe cases, these symptoms can be followed by death.
The lethal dose (ie the fatal dose for 50% of the sample dogs) is 330 mg of theobromine per kg of weight; considering that in cocoa we find about 1.4% (from 0.6 to 2% depending on the source), the lethal dose for the dog of the previous example is about 260 grams of cocoa.
At this point, if we assume we have dark chocolate with a 65% cocoa content and a milk product where this value drops to 30%, the lethal dose of chocolate for our 11 kg dog will be 400 grams for the fondant and 866 grams for the milk one; white chocolate, on the other hand, has a low theobromine content (practically zero) that makes poisoning completely unlikely.
Beyond the lethal dose, it is important to remember that in the animal serious disturbances arise already at much lower doses; in a small dog, for example, 20-30 grams of flux are generally sufficient to trigger the first clinical signs.
What to do if the dog has swallowed chocolate
Induce the Vomiting
If you notice that the animal has ingested large quantities of chocolate but does not yet present symptoms of intoxication, you can intervene by inducing vomiting ; for this purpose one or two teaspoons can be administered (depending on the size of the animal, or 3ml per 10 kg of weight) of a common solution of hydrogen peroxide at 3% 10 vol., diluted 1: 2 in water (so a part of hydrogen peroxide and two parts of normal water).
Alternatively you can melt a tablespoon of coarse salt in a little water and forcibly let the dog drink it.
If all this does not produce the desired reaction within ten minutes, it is important to immediately run to the veterinarian, who can administer emetic drugs (which cause vomiting).
Contact the vet
If, on the other hand, the symptoms of intoxication are already present, it is good to do nothing and immediately resort to veterinary medical treatment, which usually includes gastric lavage and / or the administration of medicines to counter the symptoms of poisoning (for example antiarrhythmics and anticonvulsants ) and fluids to prevent diarrhea-induced dehydration and vomiting.
So next time your dog asks you with all its extraordinary persuasion for some chocolate, keep these indications in mind: a small piece is practically harmless, but it is very important not to overdo it.
