Are you wondering what actions to take after your dog eats chocolate? Whether it’s a small or large amount, eating chocolate can pose a health risk to dogs of all sizes. Chocolate contains theobromine, an ingredient found in the cacao plant, which is like caffeine.
While a healthy human body processes theobromine without a problem, dogs cannot metabolize it properly. This can cause short- and long-term health problems for your pet, including death in the most extreme poisoning instances. Read on to learn what to do when your dog eats chocolate and how to keep them safe!
Stay Calm and Watch Their Behavior
If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, you should stay calm and watch their behavior closely. You should avoid feeding your pet any chocolate at all. The good news is that consuming a small amount of chocolate won’t be life-threatening to your dog.
For example, for milk chocolate to become toxic in a dog, it often must measure at more than 0.50 ounces per pound! If your dog eats some of your chocolate, it’s important to stay calm and not overreact. If you do, you risk scaring your pet and causing them to act differently because of your reaction – not because of how chocolate is impacting them.
Watch your dog’s behavior and look for things like a depressed mood, loose stool, and vomiting.
Contact Your Veterinarian
While at-home observation is important, you may need to speak to your veterinarian if things begin to look serious. The first 12 to 18 hours after ingestion are when you are most likely to see signs that chocolate is hurting your dog.
If you notice serious symptoms in your dog soon after eating chocolate, you may need to contact an emergency vet if your dog’s normal vet office is closed. Your veterinarian’s office will have the training and the experience to treat your dog’s condition most efficiently.
While you watch your dog’s behavior, it’s important to take notes about what you see and how your dog acts. Be sure to keep an accurate timeline of events so that you can show this to your veterinarian when you meet with him or her.
This will give them a better sense of the severity of your dog’s condition and treat them most efficiently.
Wrapping Up: What to Do When Your Dog Eats Chocolate
Learning about what to do when your dog eats chocolate will help you stay calm under pressure if you are faced with this reality. In the future, your dog may get into some chocolate without you knowing at first.
By knowing the behavior to look out for and how to react to what you see, you increase the likelihood of helping your dog receive the treatment it needs. This gives your dog a better chance to make a full recovery and continue living a healthy life after eating chocolate.
Are you interested in learning more about protecting the health and well-being of your pet? Check out our blog section for posts about the things you can do to help your pet live their best life!
