My dog ate chocolate - what do I do?

The frequency of chocolate poisoning in dogs is highest during the festive season. There is also an increase in cases of intoxication around Easter. My dog has eaten chocolate: what are the risks, what symptoms should alert me and what should I do? Here are the answers to your questions.

If the dog shows signs of agitation, vomiting or diarrhea two to four hours after ingestion, breathes more rapidly, urinates frequently or develops a fever. Make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible if your dog has eaten more than 2 grams of chocolate. Otherwise, there's no need to do anything.

Please note: Dogs are much more sensitive to chocolate than humans. One or two squares of chocolate ingested can lead to fatal poisoning in dogs, although the level of toxicity depends on the type of chocolate and the quantity ingested.

Symptoms of chocolate intoxication

Two to four hours after eating chocolate, the first signs appear:

• Digestive symptoms: the theobromine contained in cocoa causes stomach irritation in dogs, with increased secretion of gastric juices. Your pet may then experience digestive problems such as vomiting or diarrhea. Some time later, the increased gastric secretions can lead to a stomach ulcer.

If the dog consumes a large quantity of chocolate, theobromine will pass into the bloodstream, and the nervous and cardiac signs that appear can also lead to the animal's death. In the event of acute intoxication through ingestion of a large quantity of chocolate, death can occur within 6 to 24 hours.

• Nervous symptoms: your dog may become nervous, agitated and exhibit tremors. In severe cases, a dog may also have convulsions and then fall into a coma.

• Cardiac symptoms: theobromine can also cause heart rhythm disorders in dogs. The animal may experience an accelerated rhythm (tachycardia), progressive heart failure or abnormal contractions of the heart (extrasystoles).

• Other symptoms: an intoxicated dog breathes more rapidly and gasps for breath. Because theobromine also has a diuretic action, the dog drinks more and urinates much more.

Intervening and treating chocolate poisoning in dogs

If your dog shows symptoms of chocolate poisoning, contact your vet immediately. If your dog has no symptoms, but has ingested :

• Dark chocolate: if he has swallowed more than 2 grams of dark chocolate per kilo of body weight (20 grams for a 10kg dog, 40 grams for a 20kg dog, etc.).

• Milk chocolate: If he has swallowed more than 10 grams of milk chocolate per kilo of body weight (100 grams for a 10kg dog, 200 grams for a 20kg dog, etc.).

• White chocolate is not as dangerous for a dog's health. So there's no need to intervene if your dog has eaten white chocolate.

• You should know that there is no real treatment for chocolate poisoning in dogs. Treatment is symptomatic. In the event of recent ingestion of chocolate by a dog, i.e. less than 2 hours, and if there are no symptoms, you must do everything possible to make the animal vomit. Consult your vet for instructions.

• Be especially careful with your dog during the Christmas and Easter holidays. Your pet absolutely must not have access to the same little treats as you. And don't forget to tell your family and friends about the dangers of chocolate for dogs, as many people are simply unaware of this. And don't forget to put away your chocolate desserts when you leave the kitchen, because accidents can happen as soon as your back is turned!