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Chocolate for Dogs

You may have heard it before: Chocolate is toxic to dogs. And it's true. But many of us also know someone who claims their dog ate chocolate and was fine. Don't let that lull you into a false sense of security. NEVER let your dog eat chocolate.

Chocolate is never good for your dog. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. At a minimum your dog could get the effects of caffeine. They may feel bad, vomit or get diarrhea. At the maximum your dog could die within hours and there may be very little your vet could do about it.

Chocolate for Dogs - How much is too much?

There are four factors that determine how chocolate will affect your dog:

1 - The amount of chocolate eaten. The more chocolate ingested, the higher the risk of toxic effects. NEVER feed your dog any amount of chocolate.
2 - The size of your dog. The bigger the dog, often the more theobromine that is needed to create a toxic affect. The smaller the dog, the less theobromine would be required to produce an unfortunate, possibly deadly, effect.
3 - The type of chocolate and the concentration of theobromine that it has. Baker's chocolate, for example, has the most theobromine and is therefore the most toxic. Second most toxic is dark chocolate. Milk chocolate has less theobromine and is therefore the least toxic of the three types of chocolate.
4 - Your dog's sensitivity. Some dogs are more sensitive to theobromine than others. A more sensitive dog would experience toxicity with less theobromine than a dog less sensitive.

Dog owners should also be aware of another cocoa-related danger for dogs: cocoa bean mulch. Cocoa bean mulch is the hull of the cocoa bean, sold as mulch. It represents a potential danger to dogs because it is very aromatic and smells like chocolate, so it may attract dogs. Since it 1) is very sharp and 2) contains the chemical theobromine which is toxic to dogs, it is potentially deadly, not only to your dog but to other dogs in the neighborhood.

Chocolate for Dogs - There's a great substitute

GOOD NEWS. If you enjoy chocolate and you want to give your dog something similar to chocolate, too, try our carob treats! Carob comes from a bean too, and looks, tastes and cooks similar to chocolate, but nuttier and it's safe for most dogs to eat.

We've got them in Crunch Balls, Peanut Butter Treats, and even carob cream cookies� for the most pampered of dogs.

Although its taste is slightly different, it is used often by cooks because it is considered healthier than chocolate. It has been eaten as a sweet, delicious treat since at least ancient Egypt.

Enjoy!