Dog owners often give pets food scraps as a treat. However, you should keep many savory foods and desserts away from your canine. For example, chocolate contains a chemical compound they can’t process. The buildup could cause severe illness or death. Below is a closer examination of why dogs have this allergy and how a veterinarian can help.

Why Dogs Shouldn’t Eat Chocolate

When making chocolate, manufacturers use cacao seeds. The seeds contain theobromine—a type of methylxanthine alkaloid—that humans can digest easily, but dogs cannot. A buildup of theobromine in the body is toxic for your canine. In small doses, they could experience diarrhea and vomiting. Ingesting large quantities of theobromine can lead to seizures, rapid heart rate, frequent urination, and panting.

The severity of the reaction depends on the type that your dog consumes. Dark and baking chocolates have higher concentrations of methylxanthines than milk and white varieties, making the response more problematic. Smaller dogs will also experience a reaction faster than larger canines, as the toxicity will build up quicker.

What to Do if Your Dog Eats Chocolate

Dogs could experience symptoms of toxicity for up to 12 hours after eating chocolate, so you should call a veterinarian for help. If the consumption was recent, the veterinarian might induce vomiting to remove it from their system. They might also give your dog charcoal to flush out the theobromine. If the allergic reaction is particularly severe, the doctor might administer fluids intravenously to help them.

To get your dog medical treatment as soon as possible, contact Buffalo Trace Veterinary Service in Versailles, KY. Since 2009, the veterinarians at this family-owned animal hospital have been providing emergency pet care and preventative treatments to keep canines in Woodford County healthy. Visit them online for more information about their services and read reviews from other pet parents on Facebook. Call (859) 879-3582 for an appointment.