Introducing Vet Guru’s Dog Chocolate Toxicity Online Calculator: Click Here

What do you do if your dog eats chocolate? What can you expect to see and how quickly until you see the signs? When should you jump into the car and race off to the emergency clinic?

Use our handy calculator to help determine the severity of the relative risk to your dog.

Background information:

Theobromine  is  a  methylxanthine occurring  as the  major alkaloid  in chocolate and cocoa powder. This is the substance that is chiefly responsible for chocolate poisoning in dogs and other pets.

Treatment  is recommended  for  ingestion  of  more  than 20 mg/kg body weight of Theobromine or equivalent (roughly 40 mg per pound of body weight).

Theobromine content per gram of  chocolate product
White chocolate – 0.009 mg (9 ppm)
Drinking chocolate (dry) – 0.5 mg
Milk chocolate – 1.5-2.2  mg
Plain (Dark)chocolate – 45-16  mg
Cocoa powder – 5.3-26  mg
Cocoa beans – 1143 mg
Cocoa shell mulches (Yard Mulch)- 14-30  mg

The following amounts of the following substances may cause problems:

7 g (0.25 oz) baking chocolate per kilogram (kg) body weight
56 g (2 oz) of milk chocolate per kilogram (kg) body weight
11.2 kg (400 oz) of white chocolate per kilogram (kg) body weight

* Remember that 1 kg = 2.2 lbs ( Ex: A Dog weighing 10kg = 22lbs). Divide your pets weight by 2.2 to convert from lbs to kg units.

*If there is any doubt as to how much chocolate your dog has ingested, consult your veterinarian immediately! In fact, you should consult your veterinarian in any case where you suspect that your dog have ingested any toxic or harmful substance.