My Dog Ate Chocolate — What Should I Do?
My Dog Ate Chocolate — What to Do Right Now
Stay Calm — But Act Fast
Biscuit pulled the Christmas chocolate off the table. Max helped himself from the advent calendar. It happens faster than you'd think — and it can get serious. Chocolate is toxic to dogs. How dangerous it gets depends on the amount, the type of chocolate, and your dog's size.
Why Chocolate Is Dangerous for Dogs
The substance that harms dogs is called theobromine. Dogs can't break down theobromine as quickly as humans can — it builds up in the body and can lead to serious poisoning symptoms.
The darker the chocolate, the higher the theobromine content: white chocolate contains little to no theobromine and is the least dangerous. Milk chocolate contains moderate amounts. Dark chocolate and baking chocolate contain very high amounts and are the most dangerous.
Even small amounts of dark chocolate can be dangerous for small dogs. A small terrier that eats 50 grams of baking chocolate is at serious risk. A large Labrador that steals a piece of milk chocolate usually gets away with it — but that's no free pass. Veterinary rule of thumb: around 6 g of dark or baking chocolate, or 60 g of milk chocolate, per kilogram of body weight becomes a toxic dose of theobromine (equivalent to roughly 250 mg of theobromine per kg of body weight).
Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning
The first signs usually appear 6 to 12 hours after ingestion: vomiting, diarrhoea, increased urination, restlessness, tremors, a raised heart rate. Severe poisoning can cause seizures, heart rhythm problems, and in the worst case, death.
Don't wait for symptoms — if you know or suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, act immediately.
What You Should Do Now
Step 1: Stay calm and work out how much and what type of chocolate was eaten.
Step 2: Call your vet immediately. Explain: your dog's weight, the type of chocolate, the estimated amount, and when it happened.
Step 3: Germany doesn't have its own 24-hour pet poison hotline like the US — your vet or the nearest animal clinic remains your most important point of contact. The regional poison information centres can also advise on animal poisonings, for example in Mainz (06131 19240) or Erfurt (0361 73 07 30) — though human emergencies take priority there.
Step 4: Bring your dog to the vet practice if possible. If it's been less than two hours since ingestion, the vet can induce vomiting — the most effective measure.
Important: Do NOT try to induce vomiting yourself — this can be dangerous and should only be done by a vet.
