Dr. Susan Wright On The Dangers of Halloween Candy!

This is a guest post by Dr Susan Wright, a veterinarian who writes for Dog Fence DIY. Dog Fence DIY can supply everything you need for your own underground dog fence, and show you how to install it.

Trick or treat? One of the most enjoyable parts of Halloween for children is dressing up in costumes, going out knocking on doors, and receiving candy and other delicious treats. It’s an American tradition, and each year over 90% of the nation’s children participate in this fun activity.

For many of these children, their dog is a part of their family and they enjoy sharing their loot with him. This is not always a good idea.

If your child’s goodie bag contains chocolate, it’s really important that they don’t share it with your dog. Chocolate is toxic for dogs, and can cause illness within a few hours of eating it.

The active ingredient in chocolate that is so dangerous to your dog is theobromine. It’s also found in caffeine, but because coffee tastes bitter and dog’s don’t seem to like it, caffeine poisoning isn’t common.

How much theobromine does your dog need to eat to be affected? The lethal dose is 100 – 150mg of theobromine per kilo bodyweight. So, the toxic amount varies with the type of chocolate eaten, and the weight of your dog.

Dark cooking chocolate contains 1400mg of theobromine per 100g. This means that half a 250g block can be fatal to a 10kg, or 22lb, dog. Milk chocolate is much less toxic, containing only 150mg theobromine per 100g.

If your dog manages to eat enough chocolate, he’ll vomit, have diarrhea and appear edgy and excited. He’ll possibly stagger on his feet, and develop muscle spasms. This can lead to seizures, coma and death. In some cases, dogs just drop dead after eating chocolate; it appears this is because the chocolate has affected the heart rhythm and caused it to fail.

If you think your dog has raided the chocolate stash, contact your vet immediately. Give her an idea of how long ago he ate the chocolate, how much he may have eaten, and whether or not he’s showing any symptoms. She may suggest that you bring him straight into her clinic for treatment.

Generally, treatment for chocolate poisoning is to make the dog vomit any chocolate that’s still in his stomach, and give him activated charcoal to stop any more theobromine being absorbed by his intestines. If he has any muscle twitches or other symptoms, he may need sedation until these stop.

If you want to give your dog something special at Halloween, stick to a nice meaty bone or a treat specifically for dogs. This is one occasion when you shouldn’t encourage your child to share his chocolate.