WHy Chocolate is TOXIC to DOGS

[RWebb]

I asked the OSU vet. school about this, which was a query raised on another thread.

From: Welch, Corrie [mailto:Corrie.Welch@oregonstate.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:54 PM
To: iwplit@comcast.net
Subject: Chocolate toxicity


Hi Mr. Webb,

Chocolate contains both caffeine and theobromine, which are methylxanthines. Signs of intoxication include vomiting, bloating, restlessness, polyuria, polydipsia (increased urine production and drinking) and tachycardia (high heart rates) with cardiac arrhythmias. It can progress to tremors, rigidity, collapse, seizures and death. Methylxanthines elicit their effects by inhibiting phosphodiesterases causing increased intracellular levels of cAMP. Intracellular calcium reuptake is also inhibited, enhancing cardiac and skeletal muscle contractility. Central nervous system and cardiac effects are also the result of inhibition of adenosine receptors. Dogs may also show gastrointestinal signs associated with pancreatitis presumably as a result of ingestion of the fats and sugars present in some chocolate products. There have been cumulative toxic effects reported in dogs, who usually die acutely of cardiac failure. There is one report of wildlife (fox and badger) presumed to have died from cumulative effects of chocolate ingestion.

I hope that is helpful.


Corrie A Welch, DVM, MS

Small Animal Intern
College of Veterinary Medicine
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97330

[RWebb]

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a family of enzymes that modulate the immune response, inflammation, and memory, among many other functions. There are three types of PDEs: cAMP-specific, cGMP-specific, and dual-specific.

cAMP is a messenger molecult - it carries information around.

PDEs also act as messengers as per the above.

I am not a cell regualtory type-a-guy so this is something I need to sort of translate to myself as I read it.

Maybe somebody can explain it better in simple terms.

[island911]

Short answer -- They contain caffeine-like substances which over stimulate the heart and nervous system.

sez my favorite Veterinarian (also from OSU)

[svandamme]

for what it's worth, big dogs won't die from a small amount, they even like it

when i was a kid, we didn't even know chocolat is bad for dogs
i ate chocospread on my bread, dog loved it, and the same with light choclat, didn't bother him one bit..

tiny dogs are more at risk

obviously now i know, i don't give any to em anymore,
just saying it's not a disaster if you have a big dog, and somebody who doesn't know gives him half a mars bar.. no need to rush the mutt to the Vet if he's a big one

[Steve Carlton]

One of my small dogs got into a Christmas gift of Almond Roca and ate a bunch of it. Didn't seem to bother him at all. Can't say the same for my brother after he took a big runny almondy puddle dump in his house. Luckily, it was on a hardwood floor. So cleanup was a snap.

[island911]

Mars bars & Almond Roca (even if a euphemism for kitty turds) don't have much chocolate in them. ...well, unless, maybe, if the cat ate lots of chocolate.

It's the "dark chocolate" that has a high concentration.

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I asked the OSU vet. school about this, which was a query raised on another thread.

From: Welch, Corrie [mailto:Corrie.Welch@oregonstate.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:54 PM
To: iwplit@comcast.net
Subject: Chocolate toxicity


Hi Mr. Webb,

Chocolate contains both caffeine and theobromine, which are methylxanthines. Signs of intoxication include vomiting, bloating, restlessness, polyuria, polydipsia (increased urine production and drinking) and tachycardia (high heart rates) with cardiac arrhythmias. It can progress to tremors, rigidity, collapse, seizures and death. Methylxanthines elicit their effects by inhibiting phosphodiesterases causing increased intracellular levels of cAMP. Intracellular calcium reuptake is also inhibited, enhancing cardiac and skeletal muscle contractility. Central nervous system and cardiac effects are also the result of inhibition of adenosine receptors. Dogs may also show gastrointestinal signs associated with pancreatitis presumably as a result of ingestion of the fats and sugars present in some chocolate products. There have been cumulative toxic effects reported in dogs, who usually die acutely of cardiac failure. There is one report of wildlife (fox and badger) presumed to have died from cumulative effects of chocolate ingestion.

I hope that is helpful.


Corrie A Welch, DVM, MS

Small Animal Intern
College of Veterinary Medicine
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97330

In English??

Originally Posted by island911

Short answer -- They contain caffeine-like substances which over stimulate the heart and nervous system.

sez my favorite Veterinarian (also from OSU)

Thank you

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by RWebb

Signs of intoxication include vomiting, bloating, restlessness, polyuria, polydipsia (increased urine production and drinking) and tachycardia (high heart rates) with cardiac arrhythmias.

Sounds like a fun Saturday night.

[Nathans_Dad]

A dog has to ingest a pretty large amount of chocolate to die. Our dog got into a candy bar about a month ago so I looked it up...

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

One of my small dogs got into a Christmas gift of Almond Roca and ate a bunch of it. Didn't seem to bother him at all. Can't say the same for my brother after he took a big runny almondy puddle dump in his house. Luckily, it was on a hardwood floor. So cleanup was a snap.

Your brother shat on the floor in the middle of the house?? From eating chocolate?