What to Do if Your Dog Ate Chocolate
If you believe your dog has eaten chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately or call the Pet Poison Helpline (855-213-6680) for advice. Note that if your vet is not open, some services provide live chat and video options to connect you with a vet. Based on your dog’s size and the amount and type of chocolate consumed, your veterinarian may recommend that you monitor your dog for the clinical signs listed above and call back if his condition worsens.
In other cases, the veterinarian may prefer you bring your dog into the clinic. If your pet consumed the chocolate less than two hours ago, your veterinarian may induce vomiting and give them several doses of activated charcoal, which works to move the toxins out of the body without being absorbed into the bloodstream. For more severe cases, veterinary intervention may be needed to provide supplemental treatment, such as medications or IV fluids, to resolve the effects of the poisoning. Dogs suffering from seizures may need to be monitored at the clinic overnight.
My dog ate chocolate. What do I do?
You may need to take your dog for an urgent visit to the vet. First, you should assess what kind of chocolate and how much of it your dog ate. Then, consider your dog’s size. These factors determine whether your dog ingested a toxic dose of chocolate.
There are online chocolate toxicity calculators that can help you evaluate your dog’s risk level after eating chocolate. Just plug in your information, and it will tell you if you should seek medical attention for your dog. It’s always best to err on the side of caution.
If you know your dog ate some chocolate, you should call your vet. If you don’t have a vet or if the vet is closed, you can call the 24/7 Pet Poison helpline at 855-764-7661.
There isnt a specific antidote for chocolate poisoning, but your vet might try to induce vomiting to get the chocolate out of your dogs system and provide treatment for any symptoms.
What Are the Signs of Chocolate Poisoning?
Signs of chocolate poisoning usually appear within 6 to 12 hours after your dog has eaten it. Older dogs and dogs with heart conditions are more at risk of sudden death from chocolate poisoning. The symptoms, which may last up to 72 hours, include the following: