The holidays are also one of the most common times for chocolate poisoning in dogs.  Chocolate can kill your dog. Excessive ingestion of chocolate by dogs is among the 20 most common poisonings in dogs.  Many dogs will tear open gifts and wrappers to obtain the candy. Dogs have a very keen sense of smell so it is very important to prevent ingestion by storing all chocolate in a high or locked cupboard.

     Signs of chocolate toxicity include vomiting and diarrhea at first, then restlessness, increased thirst, stiffness, excitement and seizures. Death can occur 12 - 36 hours after ingestion depending on how much and what type of chocolate is ingested.

     The component of chocolate that causes the toxicity is theobromine. Different types of chocolate have different amounts of theobromine; white chocolate has less than unsweetened baking chocolate. The minimal lethal dose is 45 mg of theobromine per lb of body weight. That would be over 3 pounds of milk chocolate or 7 oz of baker's chocolate for the average Labrador Retriever or 1 pound of milk chocolate or 4 oz of baker's chocolate for a 16 lb Terrier.

     Here are the amounts of theobromine/oz of chocolate:

Cacao bean Baking chocolate Semisweet Milk chocolate Hot Chocolate White chocolate

400-1500mg/oz 450mg/oz 260mg/oz 60mg/oz 12mg/oz 1mg/oz

     If your pet does ingest chocolate, please call your veterinarian to see if your dog needs medical assistance immediately. It will be important to know the type of chocolate, the quantity your dog had access to and how much your dog weighs.