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Dogs18 September 20265 min read
My dog ate chocolate. What do I do now?
How much is dangerous, why the first two hours matter, and what we do when you arrive. Written by the vets who take these calls at 10pm.
It is the most common out-of-hours call we get, and it peaks at Easter and Christmas. The short answer: call us now, before you try anything at home. Within about two hours of eating it we can usually make your dog sick safely, and that is far easier on everyone than treating the poisoning later.
Why chocolate is a problem
Chocolate contains a stimulant that dogs break down far more slowly than we do. It speeds up the heart, causes vomiting and restlessness, and in larger amounts can cause tremors and fits.
How much is dangerous depends on three things:
- The type. Dark and cooking chocolate are many times stronger than milk chocolate. White chocolate contains very little.
- How much. Check the wrapper for the weight and the cocoa percentage.
- Your dog’s weight. The same bar is a much bigger dose for a terrier than a Labrador.
We work out the dose from those numbers in a couple of minutes, so have the wrapper ready when you call.
The first two hours
- Move your dog away from any more chocolate and pick up the wrappers.
- Call the practice, or the 24/7 line after hours. Tell us your dog’s weight, what they ate and roughly when.
- Do not give salt water or anything else to make them sick at home. It does not work reliably and can be dangerous in itself.
If the dose is low, we may simply ask you to watch them at home. If it is not, we will ask you to come straight in.
What happens at the practice
The vet gives an injection that makes your dog sick within a few minutes, usually emptying most of the chocolate. We may then give activated charcoal to soak up what is left, and sometimes fluids. Most dogs go home the same evening, looking sheepish.
Other foods to watch for
Grapes and raisins (including in mince pies and fruit cake), sugar-free sweets and gum, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts and some human painkillers are all on our list of “call us now” foods. If you are unsure, the symptom checker has a section for things your pet has eaten, and the vet on duty will always talk it through.
