Is All Chocolates Dangerous For Your American Bulldog

By Author: Ricardo Limbardo
Total Articles: 1135
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The Truth behind Chocolate Poisoning

Chocolate poisoning is not a myth. It is actually a very common cause of death or seizures in dogs. Not all chocolates, however, can cause severe effects on your dog. Although there are some that are definitely harmful, there are some that are not, especially when taken in tidbits. The problem, however, lies in the dog's tendency to want more chocolate after tasting just a bit of the sweet delight. The types of chocolate that can cause death to dogs can do so even with a bite, but some chocolates may not have any negative effects until the dog starts asking for more and until you start feeding your pet more. Even the safest type of chocolate can definitely kill your dog if eaten in huge amounts. So this might lead you to asking why chocolate, which is actually so good that you can't seem enough to get enough of it, is harmful for your dog. The reason is theobromine, a natural ingredient of chocolate. Theobromine is responsible for the negative effects a chocolate has on a dog due to its effects to the nervous system and the heart.

Do All Chocolates Cause Poisoning?

Since ...
... theobromine is found in cocoa bean, a basic ingredient of chocolates, all kinds of chocolates poses a certain amount of danger to your dog, even the chocolate icing on a cake. As much as possible, avoid feeding your dog chocolate, especially since there is no way to distinguish the safer ones from the instantly fatal ones. The more fatal ones are those that contain more theobromine, but still, there is usually no easy way to distinguish this. Besides, even the safer ones can still lead to potential danger, and your dog's safety against chocolate poisoning is in your hands. It depends on whether you can exercise self-control or not. If you just can't prevent it, stick to white chocolate, which contains very small amounts of theobromine that is hardly deadly, but the risk is still there.

The Symptoms of Chocolate Ingestion and Poisoning

The symptoms of chocolate ingestion are very apparent. They can easily be seen, and can occur within just an hour after ingestion. Signs that your dog has ingested chocolate include diarrhea and vomiting, which is easy to link to something that your dog has eaten. Other symptoms of chocolate ingestion, and possibly poisoning, also include a heightened sense of activity, and fast-beating heart. If you fed your dog chocolate within the last few hours, you'd know the reason already. But if not, check if you left any chocolate within your dog's reach anywhere in your home. If there is a possibility that your dog may have ingested chocolate, act immediately. If not, chocolate poisoning can easily cause coma, seizures, and worse of all, death.

Are All Dogs in Danger of Chocolate Poisoning after Chocolate Ingestion?

Since the danger lies in the chocolate, all dogs are in the same boat when it comes to chocolates. However, the effects may differ from one dog to another, especially considering the size of the dog and the amount of chocolate ingested. A smaller dog can be in more harm after eating a small amount of chocolate than a larger dog. An older dog can also be in more danger than younger ones

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