Some parents believe that chocolate is not harmful to dogs, but in fact, chocolate is based on scientific evidence and sometimes even fatal. Don't give your dog chocolate, or anything with chocolate, at any time. Why is chocolate harmful to dogs...
Some parents believe that chocolate is not harmful to dogs, but in fact, chocolate is based on scientific evidence and sometimes even fatal. Don't give your dog chocolate, or anything with chocolate, at any time.
Why is chocolate harmful to dogs?
Chocolate is processed from cocoa beans and contains a variety of derivatives of methylxanthine. Caffeine and cocoa base belong to this type of substance. Chocolate contains cocoamin, which acts on the puppy's central nervous system and myocardium, causing the dog to get poisoned. Both humans and cats can digest cocoaminine through metabolism, but the digestive system of dogs does not have this function. Some types of chocolate are particularly high in content, with baked chocolate and dark chocolate having the highest content, while white chocolate having the lowest content. For a dog about 7 pounds, a pound of milk chocolate is enough to cause symptoms of poisoning. Methylxanthine stimulates the dog's central nervous system, causing its heart rate to rise sharply, causing various symptoms of poisoning.
What are the symptoms of chocolate poisoning?
If a dog feels uncomfortable after eating chocolate, it will have signs such as extreme activity, special excitement, difficulty breathing, vomiting and diarrhea, and increased urination. The harm caused by chocolate to dogs' health mainly depends on the dog's weight and the content of cocoamin in chocolate. Among them, the content of cocoa alkali in dark chocolate is higher.
There are several major symptoms that can let you know that your dog has been chocolate-poisoned. The most common symptoms are irritability, increased urination, accelerated heart rate, moderate to severe anxiety, epilepsy, asthma attacks, abdominal distension, gastrointestinal discomfort, severe thirst and increased body temperature. If you find that your dog has these symptoms, it is best to send it to a veterinary hospital for treatment immediately. These symptoms usually occur six to twelve hours after eating chocolate. Even if the dog does not show any symptoms after eating chocolate, it is best to go to the veterinarian for a look.
What should a dog do after eating chocolate?
After eating chocolate, the best way for a dog is to induce vomiting. But it is best to consult a veterinarian before inducing vomiting. Most veterinarians will tell you what to do based on the type of symptoms and severity of your dog. If the veterinarian advises parents to induce vomiting immediately, the doctor will usually remind you to add some water (hydrogen oxide) to your dog's mouth first. In addition to vomiting, the first aid measures that veterinarians can take include the administration of activated carbon to absorb residual toxins. This treatment is generally very effective and can quickly relieve the pain in the dog.
