My Dog Ate Chocolate — What Should I Do?

Chocolate is toxic to dogs because it contains theobromine and caffeine, which dogs metabolise far more slowly than humans. The severity depends on the type of chocolate, the amount eaten, and your dog's body weight. Dark chocolate and baking chocolate are the most dangerous.

## Why Chocolate Is Toxic to Dogs

Theobromine and caffeine stimulate the central nervous system and cardiovascular system. Dogs cannot break these compounds down efficiently, causing them to accumulate to toxic levels.

## Toxicity by Chocolate Type (Theobromine Content)

| Type | Theobromine per 100g |
|------|---------------------|
| Baking/dark chocolate | 150–450 mg |
| Dark chocolate (70%) | 170–200 mg |
| Milk chocolate | 40–60 mg |
| White chocolate | <2 mg (effectively non-toxic) |

The toxic dose for dogs: Mild signs appear around 20 mg/kg body weight. Severe signs (seizures) at 60 mg/kg. A 10 kg dog eating 100 g of dark chocolate (170 mg/g × 100 g = 17,000 mg total / 10 kg = 1,700 mg/kg) is a life-threatening emergency.

## Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning

- First 2–4 hours: vomiting, diarrhoea, increased thirst and urination, restlessness
- Progressive: rapid or irregular heart rate, muscle tremors, hyperactivity
- Severe: seizures, collapse, coma

## What to Do Immediately

1. Find out how much chocolate your dog ate and what type.
2. Call your vet or an animal poison control line now — do not wait for symptoms.
3. If ingestion was within the last 1–2 hours, your vet may induce vomiting. Do not attempt this at home without veterinary instruction.
4. Keep the wrapper to show your vet.

Use Flovvi's AI assistant to calculate rough theobromine dose while you call your vet. Enter your dog's weight and the chocolate type and quantity.