Dog and Chocolate Poisoning

How chocolates could kill your dogs. Read on to know some alarming facts.

Dog and chocolates do not go hand in hand as chocolates can be very poisonous or toxic for the dogs.  Theobromine content in the chocolates is the ingredient that is said to be very bad to the dogs as it is mainly used as a myocardial stimulant, diuretic and a vasodilator.  When the dog consumes chocolate, the effects of it depend on the amount of chocolate consumed, the size of the dog and its responsiveness towards it.  Till now there is no antidote for Theobromine poisoning in dogs that dog and chocolate need to be kept separated from each other.  If the dog is known to have consumed chocolate, it has to be intimated to a veterinarian as soon as possible so that he might administer some drugs or charcoal in order to restrain poison absorption in the dogs.  There are other treatments too like the intravenous medicine, providing more water or other kinds of fluids and oxygen therapy but the doctor’s decision is final regarding them. 

The chocolate consumption in dogs can affect many of its organs and systems.  It can lead to weak or rapid heart beat, constriction of the blood vessels, tremors, stimulated nervous system resulting in seizures and hyperactivity.  The heart rate can also become irregular.  Young dogs and puppies are the most susceptible to such kind of chocolate poisoning if they eat more quantities of unusual foods like this.  Since chocolates are easily available and dogs enjoy their tastes, they fall victim to chocolate poisoning easily.  The Theobromine content varies with different kinds of chocolates.  The highest quantity is found in cocoa beans, next to that in cocoa powder, baking chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate syrup, milk chocolate and white chocolate.

Visit http://www.dogandchocolate.info to know how chocolates could prove to be lethal to your loving pets and to learn to find the symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs and appropriate treatment methods to save their lives