If you’re a chocolate lover, there is a good chance you have different types of chocolate in your home, including chocolate chip cookies, candy bars, and more! While humans can enjoy chocolate and eat it as often as they’d like, it’s not the same for dogs. Unfortunately, dogs shouldn’t have chocolate because it’s bad for them and can cause several health problems. So, what makes chocolate so bad? It contains a specific component known as theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.
Although you may want to reward your dog for its behavior, chocolate isn’t the way to do it. It’s not worth the potential trip to the emergency veterinarian! You can always give your dog alternatives for treats, including fresh fruit, such as apple slices and dates.
Can Dogs Have Chocolate?
The problem with chocolate is that it contains theobromine. While this component doesn’t bother humans when they consume it, it harms dogs because it doesn’t metabolize as it should, thus resulting in digestive issues. You may notice your dog isn’t feeling well after consuming chocolate. In that case, it would be best to contact the veterinarian to see what actions you’d need to take to help your furry friend.
Because dogs can’t have chocolate, keeping items containing the ingredient out of reach is necessary. Of course, it would be best not to leave chocolate items on the kitchen table where your dog could get into anything. Instead, consider putting anything containing chocolate into a cabinet, on top of the fridge, or anywhere else your dog can’t reach.
Is It Safe to Give a Dog White Chocolate?
While dogs can’t eat traditional chocolate, you’re probably wondering if they can consume white chocolate. Although white chocolate doesn’t contain nearly as much theobromine as regular chocolate, it’s still not good for your four-legged friend. It contains an assortment of different ingredients that can cause harm to your pet, such as cocoa butter. Your dog is less likely to end up poisoned from white chocolate, but it’s still not the kind of food you want to feed your pet because of the risks. The best thing to do is to keep all your chocolate together in a safe and secure spot where your dog doesn’t have access.
Can Dogs Eat Dark Chocolate?
Dark chocolate is beneficial to humans and is often recommended as a sweet treat in moderation. However, much like traditional chocolate, it’s not suitable for dogs. It contains theobromine in regular milk chocolate and has caffeine, which can also cause problems in dogs. While a small amount of dark chocolate may not be life-threatening, it’s still putting your dog at risk of suffering from digestive issues that can result in vomiting and diarrhea. If you want to play it safe, make sure you never leave chocolate on a table or chair near your dog, even if you only plan to answer the door or go to the bathroom quickly. In those few seconds, your furry friend can get into the chocolate and become sick, and you wouldn’t want that to happen.
Can Dogs Have Milk Chocolate?
Milk, dark, and white chocolate are not good for dogs. It’s best to avoid giving your dog anything that contains chocolate, even if it’s a cookie with the smallest piece of chocolate possible. It’s better to be safe than sorry. After all, you wouldn’t want your pet to fall ill because you gave it something that it can’t digest properly.
If you’re planning to have chocolate and want to offer your dog something as a treat while you eat it, go for an alternative option, such as unsweetened carob, which is safe for animals. Believe it or not, they make dog-friendly “chocolate” products that look and smell like the real thing but don’t contain the harmful ingredients that put dogs at risk of experiencing different symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Is It Safe for Dogs to Have Almond Bark?
There are a few things you need to know about almond bark. Many people use it as a chocolate alternative for dipping pretzels, strawberries, cookies, and more. And it also has a similar taste to the chocolate you’d typically eat. However, it would be best if you didn’t give it to your dog unless you know that it’s free of the ingredients in chocolate that can cause harm to dogs, such as caffeine and theobromine. If it’s free of those harsh ingredients, your dog can eat a small amount without feeling sick.
It’s important to remember that while some almond bark is safe for dogs, this ingredient is high in fat. So, giving your dog too much almond bark could lead to obesity, which causes other health-related conditions.
How to Tell If Your Dog Got Into Your Chocolate
Are you concerned that your dog may have gotten into some chocolate while you weren’t around? If so, there are a few telltale signs to be aware of, such as:
Vomiting – Because dogs can’t stomach the toxic ingredients in different types of chocolate, your dog may suddenly begin vomiting.
Diarrhea – Not only can the toxic ingredients cause your dog to begin vomiting, but it can also lead to excessive diarrhea. If your dog can’t hold its bowels, it could signify that it has consumed some chocolate.
Excessive Panting – If your dog is panting despite relaxing at home, it could signify that it ate chocolate. While it’s normal for a dog to pant when it’s hot or after a long walk, it shouldn’t happen if your dog is simply resting on the couch or in its dog bed.
These are the primary symptoms a dog might begin to exhibit if it has consumed chocolate and is now experiencing the side effects of the toxic ingredients.
What to Do If Your Dog Eats Chocolate
If your dog eats chocolate and you don’t know what to do, you can reach out to the Pet Poison Hotline by calling them directly at 855-213-6680. They can provide you with the steps needed to help your furry friend. Sometimes, the most feasible solution is to induce vomiting in your pet to ensure the chocolate comes out. In addition to calling the Pet Poison Hotline, you can contact your veterinarian and describe the situation to them. The vet can provide actionable advice on what you can do to help your pup.
What Your Dog Can Eat Instead
There’s no shame in wanting to give our dogs whatever food will make them happy. There just happens to be many other choices out there that are much healthier and more nutritious than pretzels. Here is a list of all the junk foods that your dog can eat.
Fruits
There are many fruits that dogs can eat which are packed with vitamins, dietary fibers, and antioxidants. The best are berries like strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries. Dogs can eat bananas, oranges, apples, melons, mangos, and pineapples. Make sure fruits with pits, stems, cores, and seeds have been ridden from these items. Several of them are choking hazards and peach pits can be toxic. Grapes of any kind are poisonous to dogs, and even raisins shouldn’t be given to them.
Seafood
When seafood is free from shells, tails, bones, and legs, they are safe for a dog to eat. Dogs can have lobster, shrimp, salmon, crab, tuna, flounder, and a variety of other fish that is lower in mercury. Fish with too much mercury fed too often to our dogs can cause mercury poisoning. Uncooked or undercooked seafood can contain harmful pathogens and bacterium like salmonella which can make a dog extremely ill. Always ensure that seafood is thoroughly cooked before feeding it to your dog.
Beans
Beans can be great sources of dietary fibers and proteins which are necessary for a dog’s health. Dogs can have a wide variety of beans, including lima beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, soybeans, butter beans, kidney beans, navy beans, and even green beans. Beans should always be cooked thoroughly and fed to dogs in moderation to avoid tummy aches. Beans shouldn’t replace meat in a dog’s diet, since the meat they eat is a richer source of proteins.
Vegetables
As stated earlier, garlic and onions contain toxins that are bad for dogs, and even seasonings containing traces of these vegetables could cause problems. Avocado is another poisonous food because it contains a toxic chemical called persin. Other veggies are considered great sources of fiber and vitamins for dogs. Dogs can eat carrots, pumpkins, spinach, celery, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and many other vegetables instead.
Nuts
Most nuts aren’t toxic to dogs, save for walnuts and macadamia nuts. Other nuts aren’t necessarily poisonous, but they can contain lots of salts, fats, and proteins that are difficult to digest. They also aren’t very practical because they can be choking hazards due to their shapes, sizes, and shells. Cashews, almonds, and pistachios are fine for dogs to eat moderately, especially when they are made into butter which is safer to eat in terms of obstruction.
Conclusion
Even if you’re a chocolate lover, it’s never a good idea to share it with your dog. In fact, it’s best to keep any chocolate out of reach by placing it in a closet or a higher level that your dog can’t get to, even if it jumps up high and gets on other things. Because the ingredients in chocolate are toxic to dogs, it can cause them to experience life-threatening illnesses when they consume it. If your dog gets into the chocolate unexpectedly, take immediate action by contacting the pet hotline and reaching out to the veterinarian for helpful tips. Make sure to keep an eye on your dog and make note of any symptoms it might have after consuming the chocolate.
