Chocolate is one of the most popular gifts at any holiday opportunity — especially at Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, most types of chocolate contain caffeine and theobromine, which are toxic to pets!!!

Allways keep chocolates and other sweets out of reach of your pets.

Milk chocolate contains about 1.5 mg of theobromine per gram. Unsweetened baking chocolate contains almost 16 mg per gram! The LD-50 (lethal dose) for theobromine in dogs is reported to be between 240-500mg/kg body weight. However, the death of a dog after ingestion of as little as 114 mg/kg has been reported. To reach a potentially lethal dose of 100mg/kg, a dog weighing 10 kg would have to ingest only 63g (2.2oz) of unsweetened chocolate, or about 670g (1.5lb) of milk chocolate.

Clinical signs in dogs with theobromine toxicosis include:

• vomiting
• depression and lethargy
• diuresis
• muscular tremors
• diarrhea
• death

If you notice a quantity of chocolate missing, or see your dog dig in and eat any quantity at all, call your veterinarian immediately. If you can’t reach your veterinarian, call your poison control center for instructions.