Dog Chocolate Toxicity Calculator
Table of contents
Can dogs eat chocolate?How to use the dog chocolate toxicity calculatorHow much chocolate can a dog eat?How to calculate chocolate toxicity in dogs?How much chocolate can a 70 lb dog eat?FAQsOur dog chocolate toxicity calculator can tell you whether the amount of chocolate devoured by your dog can be dangerous for it. 🐶🐈
Our tool will not only tell you exactly how much chocolate is toxic to dogs; we will also talk about signs & symptoms of chocolate poisoning in pets and discover how to calculate chocolate toxicity in dogs.
We have a few other dog-related tools. Learn how much your pet needs to eat to be fit and healthy in our dog food calculator.
❗ Always consult your vet in case of any doubt, suspicious behavior, or worsening state of your pet. Our chocolate for dogs calculator shouldn't serve as a substitute for professional medical advice.
Can dogs eat chocolate?
No. No. No. Three times, no. Chocolate contains substances called methylxanthines. They are harmless to humans but deadly dangerous for our beloved pets due to their different metabolism mechanisms.
The group of methylxanthines contains:
- Caffeine — Present in chocolate, coffee, or coffee beans. ☕
- Theobromine — Found in chocolates, desserts, sweets, puddings, and even ice cream. 🍩
The combined amount of these substances allows us to measure the deadliness of a given food, usually given in milligrams per kilogram.
How to use the dog chocolate toxicity calculator
"My dog ate chocolate!" — your sister screamed in terror, holding the door wide open and looking straight into your eyes[…]
Dogs shouldn't eat any chocolate, that's for sure — but is there really a place to panic?
Evaluate your pet's condition first — if anything worries you, call for help immediately. Find out exactly how much chocolate is gone, and open our pet chocolate calculator.
- Insert your pet's weight, chocolate type and the amount eaten, using a unit of your choice.
This tool serves as the Dog ate chocolate calculator — if you're looking for the cat version, try our cat chocolate toxicity calculator.
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Your results are here — copy them carefully, your vet may need them!
- Total methylxanthine dose — The added doses of theobromine and caffeine, per 1 kilogram or 1 pound of the body weight
- Total methylxanthine received — Total of harmful substances received in the entire body.
- Dose of theobromine/caffeine — Amount of substance received, per 1 kilogram or 1 pound of the body weight.
- Prognosis — Expected state of your pet.
Talking about a good prognosis… would you like to find something more about your favorite pets? Go to dog pregnancy calculator. 🐩
How much chocolate can a dog eat?
Chocolate can be lethal to dogs. We definitely shouldn't give them even a little bit of it. Pets metabolize food in a different way than humans do.
Theobromine and caffeine are two substances that are deadly to them. It is generally believed that a combined dose of less than 15.01 mg/kg (7.5 mg/lb) shouldn't harm your dog.
This dose is equivalent to:
- 1 piece of dark-sweet chocolate for a 3 kg (6 lb) dog.
- 7 pieces of dark-sweet chocolate for a 15 kg (33 lb) dog.
Try our pet chocolate toxicity calculator to compute the doses for different kinds of chocolates, cakes, desserts, and coffee — specific for your pet's weight! ☕
Wanna know more about your dog's diet, supplements, and drugs? Check out these tools: omega-3 for dogs calculator, or tramadol for dogs calculator.
How to calculate chocolate toxicity in dogs?
The first step of calculating toxicity is to know the concentration of the harmful substances in a given food. Our dog chocolate calculator is fully prepared for this task.
If you already have all the data you need, proceed to the calculations.
Theobromine dose = (Chocolate type × Amount eaten) / Weight
Caffeine dose = (Chocolate type × Amount eaten) / Weight
Total dose = Caffeine dose + Theobromine dose
We used all the equations presented above to create our pet chocolate calculator.
where:
- Theobromine dose and Caffeine dose are given in mg/kg.
- Chocolate type means the concentration of theobromine/caffeine in 1 g of a given chocolate product.
- Amount eaten — Given in grams (g).
- Weight of the pet is given in kilograms (kg).
To evaluate the total toxicity, we need to use the Total dose that we've already calculated:
- A total dose of <15.01 mg/kg — Your pet's going to be ok.
- A dose between 15.01-34.02 mg/kg — Your pet may suffer from diarrhea and vomiting.
- A dose between 34.02-45 mg/kg — Your pet may also suffer from tachyarrhythmia (possibly dangerous, rapid heartbeat).
- A dose between 45-55.01 mg/kg — Will cause seizures and tremors.
- A total dose larger than 55.01 mg/kg — May kill your dog.
How much chocolate can a 70 lb dog eat?
The mentioned dog, just like any other pet, should avoid eating any chocolate.
If the amount devoured by your dog is lower than given in the table, your pet should generally be ok.
One piece of chocolate usually weighs 6 grams (0.21 oz).
Type of chocolate | Max amount for a 70 lb (32 kg) pet |
|---|---|
White chocolate | 12.6 kg (27.8 lb) |
Milk chocolate | 212 g (0.47 lb) |
Dark-sweet chocolate | 92 g (3.2 oz) |
60% cocoa | 56.8 g (2 oz) |
72% cocoa | 47.4 g (1.67 oz) |
86% cocoa | 39.6 g (1.4 oz) |
For all the unplanned situations, we decided to create the dog chocolate toxicity chart for animals that weight 70 lb (32 kg) — the table above allows you to check whether the amount of chocolate your pet ate should still be safe for him.
As you can see, the amount of chocolate that may harm your pet varies drastically; darker chocolates are way more dangerous than sweet ones. The complete list of dangerous desserts is available in the dog chocolate toxicity calculator .
Remember, if anything changes in your pet's behavior, or you're not sure how much exactly did it eat — seek for professional help!
Is chocolate bad for dogs?
Yes. Chocolate contains very dangerous substances for dogs due to their different metabolism mechanisms. The darker the chocolate, the more poisonous it is for dogs. So, you should definitely avoid giving any piece of chocolate to your dog.
What is the dose of methylxanthines that is safe for a 3 kg dog?
Less than 20 g of milk chocolate. The safe dose of methylxanthines is generally believed to be less than 15.01 mg/kg. This value depends on the type of chocolate. If your dog eats 19 g of milk chocolate, the methylxanthines dose will be:
14.31 mg/kg= (14.31/3) mg = 4.77 mg
How do I know if my dog has been poisoned by chocolate?
If you know your dog ate chocolate, you should:
- Try to calculate the dose of methylxantines your dog ate. You can do that using our dog chocolate toxicity calculator.
- Observe if your dog has any symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
- Consult a vet, especially if you are unsure about the amount of chocolate your dog ate or have any doubt about the symptoms.
Can dogs eat white chocolate?
Yes. This is not a risk of toxicity to your dog because it contains a very low level of caffeine and theobromine. Therefore, treatment is not required. However, white chocolate has ingredients that pets should not consume, such as cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, so try not to give white chocolate to your dog.