Chocolate is popular year round, especially near holidays. I love chocolate. I have it readily available at all times. I could even say that I need chocolate now and then. This is not the case for animals, however! Chocolate is toxic, and sometimes even fatal, for animals. Dogs are most commonly affected, due to their ability to find it and the common 'sweet tooth' they seem to have. It is important to remember that cats and other species are susceptible to the toxic effects of chocolate, too.
What
makes chocolate toxic, anyway?
Chocolate is made from the fruit (beans) of the cacao tree. Theobromine, a
component of chocolate, is the toxic compound in chocolate. (Caffeine is
also present in chocolate, but in much smaller amounts than Theobromine.)
Theobromine's effect on the body:
Central Nervous
System (CNS) stimulant
Cardiovascular stimulant
Increase blood pressure (mild)
Nausea and vomiting
Are some chocolates more
toxic than others?
Yes. Unsweetened (baker's) chocolate contains 8-10 times the amount of
Theobromine as milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate falls roughly in between
the two for Theobromine content. White chocolate contains Theobromine, but
in such small amounts that Theobromine poisoning is unlikely. A toxic dose
of dark chcolate is 100mg per kilogram of body weight.
What are the
signs of toxicity?
Signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate
ingestion.
Excitement /
nervousness / trembling
Vomiting / diarrhea
Excessive thirst / sometimes excessive urination (at higher levels of
Theobromine toxicity)
Muscle spasms
Seizures
Coma (rare)
Death (rare) -- likely due to heart rhythm abnormalities.
