“To determine the health status of your pet, organ function and the seriousness of the toxicity, expect your veterinarian to perform blood work and a urinalysis,” says Dr. Carlson. Blood pressure is often checked, too, since the heart rate can be greatly decreased and these animals sometimes require intravenous fluids to support their blood pressure. This triggers diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, hyperactivity, increased thirst, agitation, seizures, abnormal heart rate, and sometimes death. This manifests as vomiting, excessive thirst, excessive panting, changes in behavior, seizures, or in some severe cases, death. 1. Signs include change in appetite, lethargy, jaundice (yellow skin), vomiting, and diarrhea. At lower doses, you might see milder symptoms including restlessness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your vet will first attempt to stabilize your dog and attempt to control any symptoms she presents with. Dogs who have ingested higher doses and are showing more symptoms are recommended to be admitted to the hospital for monitoring of their heart rate and rhythm, IV fluids, and multiple doses of activated charcoal. Older dogs and dogs with heart problems can collapse or die suddenly from chocolate toxicity. Once you arrive at the vet’s, they will evaluate your dog to see the level of toxicity and the current state of your dog’s body functions.
Of course, there are many factors that will impact your dog’s odds of recovery and survival, including the amount of the product they ate, how much xylitol it contained, how recently they ate it, your quickness in taking action, and a host of others. Explain all the relevant factors to the vet so that he/she could recommend the most suitable mode of treatment. It is really difficult to determine exact levels of toxicity, as there are different factors to keep in mind, and sometimes the effects may vary on an individual basis (just like in humans, where one alcoholic drink may cause one to feel dizzy while another may still feel sober on his third). While you quickly get ready to go to the veterinarian, keep them in a quiet room to help reduce sensory stimulation. You can also use dog gates to keep your canine out of trouble. Are There Any Health Benefits to Feeding My Dog Garlic? That’s just one reason why 24/7 telehealth visits for pets are such an ideal option.
Why Can’t Dogs Eat Chocolate? Because most dogs will eat anything, help yours stay safe (and your stash stocked) by keeping your chocolates out of reach and have a pet sitter stop by to ward off destruction in your absence and catch any harmful behaviors sooner. Is Sweetcorn From the Tin Safe for Dogs? Is chocolate toxic for dogs? It is very important to determine, therefore, the type of chocolate ingested and the amount. Therefore, more and more dogs are getting sick from eating this “all-natural” sugar substitute. It is used as a sugar substitute due to its sweet taste. This is particularly true when it comes to something that smells sweet or scrumptious to her. When it comes to body weight, smaller dogs are more sensitive to chocolate. Every culture and household has its own tradition when it comes to celebrating the holidays with treats. It is important to take the time to report the incident to the FDA. These chemicals get absorbed very quickly by a dog’s digestive system and can linger for a long time.
Your dog’s reaction to the amount of chocolate they’ve consumed is also dependent on the type of chocolate, due to different levels of theobromine. If you know your dog has ingested chocolate, the best thing you can do is reach out to your vet as soon as possible. “Edible forms can add to the toxicity, as they are often formulated in combination with ingredients such as chocolate, which can be lethal in high enough doses, and butter, which can cause GI upset and potentially pancreatitis,” says Dr. Caroline Wilde, staff veterinarian at pet medical insurance company Trupanion. If your dog develops a puncture or a tear in their gut lining, they may also start to get a high temperature due to infection. Fortunately, with prompt recognition, quick diagnosis, and appropriate treatment, the prognosis for a dog that eats a product containing xylitol can be good. Is Xylitol Toxicity Treatable? This means that a tiny amount of baking chocolate can cause severe chocolate toxicity in a dog, while that same amount of milk chocolate could lead to just mild discomfort. “This might be a noted medical episode for your dog, but marijuana toxicity is playdough toxic not often fatal in pets,” says Dr. Carlson.
