We may look sweet and innocent, and most of the time we are. But my mischievous side led to an emergency trip to our favorite vet hospital today. But the chocolate bar tasted so good and Mom, I shared with Tesla just like you taught me!
It was only 2-3 small size squares of milk chocolate and caramel, and Dad really thought it was out of the way. But I am a very smart girl. I have learned how to get up on chairs, and from chairs I can get up on the table, and well you get the idea. My curiosity and the smell of a possible treat or new toy gets the better of me. Dad has been trying out giving me a little more freedom, so I wasn’t in my crate. But, Mom and Dad didn’t know I have learned this new trick. I guess it is not a trick that Mom thinks is a good trick, because I learned when we got home that I will be confined to quarters for the foreseeable future when Mom and Dad are not with me.. Oh boy! But I know this is best, that they love me, and they are only doing this to keep me safe!
In fairness – I really didn’t know how dangerous it was to eat chocolate and now I feel very bad about scaring Mom and Dad like I did and tempting Tesla. He really didn’t eat too much, but mostly licked the wrapper. But the smell of chocolate on his breath meant he had to be treated today too! I hope he isn’t too mad at me…
This is what I learned today – Chocolate is toxic to dogs (this means it can make us very sick). How dangerous the chocolate is depends on the type and amount of chocolate that is eaten and how much a dog would weigh. I weigh only 11.1 pounds and I ate most of the chocolate, so this is more dangerous for me than for Tesla who weight 15.5 pounds (by the way Lincoln weighed in at 16 pounds today!! Whoa!).
Given that I ate milk chocolate the least dangerous of the chocolates, Mom didn’t need to panic. But she did the right thing calling the vet or if it had been later in the evening, she would have called DoveLewis Emergency Hospital or Pet Poison Control (Pet Poison Helpline (855-213-6680). We had to have our tummies emptied, we had IV fluids, and we were given some medicine to help calm our tummies. We are not very hungry right now and we will likely spend the evening staying close to Mom and Dad for some puppy love.
I also learned that chocolate contains both something called theobromine and also caffeine, both of these things will speed up our heart rate and stimulate our nervous system (from the Merck/Merial Manual for Veterinary Health). Here is a list of the some of the types of chocolate listed in order of theobromine content:
- Cocoa powder (most toxic)
- Unsweetened baker’s chocolate
- Semisweet chocolate
- Dark chocolate
- Milk chocolate
- White chocolate (not very toxic)
Mom said it is important for puppy parents to also know the signs of chocolate poisoning. These usually appear within 6 to 12 hours after a dog has eaten chocolate and may last up to 72 hours. But if you know your dog has eaten chocolate, it is best to do what our Mom did and call your Veterinary doctor immediately. Signs of chocolate poisoning include the following:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Restlessness
- Increased urination
- Tremors
- Elevated or abnormal heart rate
- Seizures
- Collapse and death
Mom said to be sure to remind everyone of some important tips to keep your dog from sneaking chocolate like I did today. These include:
Put the chocolate away: Make sure all chocolate items, including cocoa powder and hot chocolate mix, are stored where your dog cannot reach them, such as on a high shelf in a closed-door pantry or in a closed drawer. It is important to keep the chocolate out of reach and not to leave chocolate on tables or countertops (Dad now knows and feels terrible – he really didn’t know I could get up where I did)or in a purse – we know how to get into purses too!
Teach “leave it” to your puppy: This is a command I am still learning. The command “leave it” is very helpful in preventing us puppies from something we shouldn’t have. But remember, we usually only follow this command when it is given, otherwise our natural instinct especially as rescue pups is to find food and when we do to eat this.
Use a crate and crate train your dog: Confining us when you are away is the safest way to ensure we don’t eat anything harmful while you’re not supervising us. We are curious creatures by nature and love to find new treats and toys – not realizing this could be dangerous for us.
Boy did we learn a lot today. From now on we will do our best to stay away from chocolate or as Mom and Dad will tell us “Leave it”! But like many people, leaving chocolate alone may be hard – it really was so good! We are home and resting now. Maybe later we will feel like a little food. Mom said rice and boiled chicken is on the menu, returning to our regular meal from Honest Kitchen tomorrow.
From Mom: Please take the warnings of the dangers of chocolate ingestion seriously. Quick action can help in most cases save the life of your pup. Fortunately it appears Lincoln wasn’t a party to the shenanigans of my two blondies. He had no chocolate on his breath and he tends not to be as food aggressive/interested as the most recent two rescues. Be sure to play it safe and puppy-proof your home, just like you would child-proof your home.
Dad and I also want to express a special thank you to the wonderful team at Murray Hill Veterinary Hospital for their prompt response in caring for these two sweet little hooligans! With better than a 17 year history with this amazing team, we are blessed for their amazing expertise and that they care for our pups, as if they were there own.
Tales of Shelby the ShihTzu 
I never knew that about chocolate. Nice read. Amy
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Thank you Amy. I appreciate the feedback. I was aware of the risk, but now even more so! Needless to say, my Mom is putting the chocolate up in the cupboard where it stays out of reach. It is just too yummy!
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