Does your dear doggie looks with those begging eyes at you when you munch on your favorite bar of chocolate? We are sure he does and we are also sure how your heart melts with love on his this gesture. Of course you know chocolates are bad for your furry friend’s health and denying him gives you a bit of guilt too. We say shake yourself off from this guilt because you have just saved his life by not sharing your chocolate with him. Let us understand better how and why chocolates are so dangerous for them.

Theobromine

Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine which is safe for consumption in humans but is not so in case of dogs. Small amounts of theobromine when consumed by dogs may result in his having an upset tummy whereas larger amounts can have more serious implications like irregular heartbeat, heart attack, internal bleeding, tremors, and seizures. If you are wondering why the same chocolate has such huge adverse effects on your pooch, the reason is that their digestive system is not equipped to break down theobromine quickly enough. Since it is not broken down quickly, it builds up in a dog’s body causing toxicity. Such is the severity of toxin built up that even one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight of your dog is enough to cause toxicity. Therefore the same amount of chocolate when consumed by a smaller breed of dog is more dangerous than that of a larger breed of dog. The culprit theobromine is in highest concentration in baking cocoa, unsweetened chocolate and dark chocolate. Having said that, theobromine is present in all chocolates, milk and white chocolates too. Thus it is best to refrain from using any of it on your dog.

Caffeine

In addition to theobromine, chocolates also contain caffeine which is also bad for dogs. Caffeine is known to be a stimulating compound which is why humans have it in the morning. In contrast, dogs are very sensitive to stimulants and can overwork your dog’s system causing vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, seizures, and possibly death. That is why chocolate with coffee like in a mocha or chocolate covered espresso bean is a complete no-no for dogs.

Xylitol

 Sugar free chocolates are also dangerous for consumption by dogs because these might contain a sweetener called xylitol which is carb free and calorie free. So even though it is good for human health, it is not so for the canines. Let us see why. When a dog eats real sugar and carbs they are broken down by the body releasing sugar. In response to this, body releases insulin which tells the body calls to open up and store the excess sugar for later. The problem with xylitol is that even though it has zero carbs, the dog’s body responds to it as if the sweetener has carbs, thereby releasing insulin which takes up excess sugar from the blood. All of this results in dangerously low sugar level causing vomiting, fatigue, seizures, liver failure and if left untreated, even death.

Raisins

Chocolates may also contain raisinettes which is known to be a cause of kidney failure in dogs. That is why vets always tell you to keep your dog away from grapes and raisins, come what may.

The next time your dog looks at you with those shining puppy eyes asking you for a share in that chocolate bar, you know why to absolutely say no. For substitutes you may look for dog treats at Waggfluence like dog cookies and dog cakes. Wouldn’t that be a win-win situation for both you and your pooch?