Why Is Chocolate Toxic to Dogs?
Chocolate contains substances known as methylxanthines (specifically caffeine and theobromine). Unlike humans, dogs are far more sensitive to these substances. Not all types of chocolate contain the same amount of methylxanthines. A good rule of thumb is, the darker and more bitter the chocolate the greater the danger.
Has your dog ingested chocolate? Use this calculator to determine whether a visit to your vet is necessary.
Note:
If you’re not sure what type of chocolate your dog ingested, milk chocolate is most common, so use that as a default.
If you’re not sure how much your dog ingested, here are some benchmarks:
- A milk chocolate Hershey’s Bar contains 1.5 oz (43g) of chocolate.
- A single Hershey’s Kiss contains 0.2 oz (5.7g) of chocolate
