Veterinary Database: Chocolate Intoxication in Dogs and CatsParacelsus (16th century alchemist and toxicologist): Chocolate Intoxication: The Toxic Substances Chocolate contains toxic substances of the Methyl-xanthine Alkaloids group: Theobromine and Caffeine. There is a higher concentration of theobromine than of caffeine in chocolate. The sweetened chocolate varieties are less toxic than the pure chocolate ones. Methylxanthines have their toxic effect through adenosine antagonism.
Concentrations and Lethal Dose (LD): Caffeine is potentially lethal (LD50) at 110 mg/kg body weight in dogs and at 80 mg/kg in cats. Theobromine is potentially lethal (LD50) at 100 mg/kg body weight. Life threatening symptoms can be seen at (combined) doses as low as 20-50 mg/kg. This correlates to: Milk chocolate 2 oz/kg, Pure chocolate (unsweetened baking chocolate) 0.2 oz/kg. Convulsions can be seen with doses of 60 mg/kg and higher. White chocolate contains very low doses of theobromine and caffeine but can still be toxic for small dogs or in high dosages. The half-life of theobromine is 17.5 hours and 4.5 hours for caffeine in the dog. Example: dog of 10 kg bodyweight, eating one bar of milk chocolate (100 grams). Toxic substances in this piece of chocolate: (100 x 2.2) = 220 mg theobromine and caffeine Life threatening symptoms can be seen from 20 mg/kg caffeine and theobromine and more. For a dog of 10 kg this would mean 200 mg is already dangerous. The dog in this example just got intoxicated with 220 mg theobromine and caffeine by only eating one bar of milk chocolate. Bakers chocolate would already be dangerous at less than 15 grams of chocolate for a dog of 10 kg body weight. Note: other substances can also contain methylxanthines (coffee, cola, chocolate milk e.a.).
Read more on Chocolate Intoxication in Dogs and Cats... Page 1, 2
Vets Without Borders
Veterinary Help Where it is Needed the Most!
|
