You find a chocolate wrapper on the floor and your dog licking their lips. If your dog has eaten chocolate, the most useful thing you can do is act quickly and calmly: find out what kind of chocolate it was and how much they ate, and call the vet. With Halloween just around the corner and sweets all over the house, it’s one of the most common scares of the autumn. Here’s what to do, step by step.
My dog ate chocolate: what to do now
- Take away whatever is left and keep the wrapper: the label shows the cocoa percentage.
- Gather the details: type of chocolate, roughly how much, what time they ate it and how much your dog weighs.
- Call your vet straight away or a 24-hour emergency vet, even if your dog seems perfectly fine. Symptoms can take hours to appear, and the sooner you act, the simpler the treatment.
- Don’t try to make your dog sick yourself: no salt water and no hydrogen peroxide, as they can cause harm. If it’s needed, the vet will decide and tell you how.
- Follow the vet’s advice and keep an eye on your dog over the next few hours.
Why is chocolate toxic to dogs?
The problem is theobromine, a substance in cocoa that comes with a little caffeine. We get rid of it quickly; dogs do so very slowly. That’s why an amount that is harmless to a person can poison a dog. How much risk your dog is in depends mainly on two things:
- The type of chocolate. The darker it is, the more theobromine it contains. From most to least dangerous: pure cocoa powder, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. White chocolate contains hardly any, but it is high in fat and sugar and can also upset your dog.
- Your dog’s weight. For the same amount, a small dog is at much greater risk: a few squares of dark chocolate may be enough for a Chihuahua, whereas a Labrador would need quite a lot more.
There are calculators and dose tables online, but the figures vary from one source to another. Use them, at most, to get a rough idea: the real risk should be assessed by the vet.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs
They usually appear within the next few hours and can last quite a while, precisely because dogs clear theobromine so slowly. Look out for:
- vomiting and diarrhoea;
- increased thirst and needing to wee more often;
- restlessness, agitation and panting;
- a racing heart;
- trembling, muscle stiffness and, in severe cases, seizures.
If you notice these signs, don’t wait for them to pass: go to your vet or an emergency vet.
Halloween: it’s not just chocolate
Between trick-or-treating, parties and bowls full of sweets, there are other hazards around the house at the end of October:
- Sugar-free sweets and chewing gum: they may contain xylitol, a sweetener that is very dangerous for dogs even in small amounts. Read the label.
- Raisins and grapes, found in some sweet treats: keep these well out of reach too.
- Wrappers, foil and lollipop sticks: if swallowed, they can cause an intestinal blockage.
For the rest of the night, from the door that keeps opening to the fancy dress, you’ll find all the tips in our guide to Halloween with pets.
How to stop it happening again
- Keep sweets and chocolate up high or in a closed cupboard, not on the coffee table.
- Warn children and guests: no little bits “just to try”.
- Watch out for handbags, rucksacks and coats left on the floor: to a dog, they’re an invitation to rummage. And after trick-or-treating, put the children’s sweet bag somewhere safe.
- If you want your dog to join in the fun, give them proper dog treats of their own. Serving their food in a slow feeder keeps them busy for longer while the doorbell keeps ringing.
In short: if your dog has eaten chocolate, don’t improvise and don’t wait for symptoms to appear. The best thing to do is call the vet as soon as possible, with the type of chocolate, the amount, the time and your dog’s weight to hand. This guide is for information only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.