6 year old “Max” was recently admitted to Leduc Veterinary Hospital after 
devouring a stash of Halloween chocolate. After eating one large Crispy Crunch bar and 6-8 small chocolate bars, “Max” ended up with chocolate poisoning.
Every year at Leduc Veterinary Hospital we see cases where dogs have ingested chocolate. These cases are relatively evenly spread throughout the year, but reach a peak around Easter, Halloween and Christmas.
Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine which are toxic to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more of these substances it contains. As little as 100mg theobromine per kg of your pet dog can be fatal.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include:
- Vomiting & diarrhea
- Abdominal tenderness
- Increased heart rate & breathing rate
- Hyperactivity
- In severe cases convulsions, seizures, and even death
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There is no antidote for theobromine poisoning and treatment is necessary for any amount ingested. In “Max’s” case he was given an Apomorphine injection to induce vomiting and fed activated charcoal which absorbed any theobromine left in the gut. Within minutes of injecting the Apomorphine, Max vomited 6 times. He vomited chocolate, peanuts, and bits of plastic wrapper. 
Luckily, we were able to treat Max in time and he has made a full recovery. He was able to go home with his owners, and they now stow chocolate in a place inaccessible to Max.
What to do if your dog eats chocolate:
Call your veterinarian immediately. The effects of chocolate toxicity may not be apparent right away, but call your veterinarian, regardless. It is important to stress that with prompt intervention, the prognosis for a poisoned dog is usually good. Thankfully, fatal cases are rare.
Chocolate toxicity is one of the most common poisonings during the holiday season; please be careful what you put under the tree this year.
