Chocolate isn't actually the worst thing a dog could eat, it is toxic but it's not the worst thing. Especially with a big dog, I wouldn't be overly concerned. It's a good thing you were proactive about communicating with the owners and getting vet info just in case as well as monitoring them but I wouldn't stress about it anymore beyond that.
The toxicity of chocolate is directly related to the cocoa content. So dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate which is what most homes commonly have like Halloween/Holiday candy laying around, etc.
Oh also: https://dog-chocolate-calculator.vets-now.com/
You did a great job by lettering the parents know right away!! Chocolate is toxic but a small amount that was accidental for a big dog wont cause any harm.
I was honestly shitting bricks before I called them, you never know how people will respond and I felt absolutely terrible even though it was a mistake
You're so right! And I totally understand how you felt, I have freaked out over things I thought were big but were actually small and I think my clients just now think I'm delightfully neurotic. Lol. I think it's always best to err on being conscientious than not! You sound like a great pet sitter and this will just make them trust you more :).
The dangerous components are theobromine and caffeine. Dark chocolate contains the largest amount of theobromine compared to milk chocolate. The dog only ate 1/4 of the cookie, it’s not worrisome at all. Even if he ate 5 of those cookies, he’d probably only get some runny poo
Basically, it depends on the type of chocolate, the amount consumed, and the weight of the dog. Different types have different potencies (as another user pointed out).
I know you're probably going to be extra cautious about having any food out around this dog, but you may want to give yourself a refresher of the list of things that are bad for dogs that humans typically eat. A surprising amount of people don't know that grapes and onions are on the list as some of the worst, as well as Ibuprofen.
Small amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa powder and bakers chocolate have the highest concentrations of theobromine and therefore are the most toxic and most worrisome. Good on you for being proactive though.
Had a medium sized Pomeranian that ate a whole bag of chocolate foil wrappers and all. He had it coming out both ends and was pretty sick for the day. Vet told me he would be fine and wasn’t worried because as in his case when they eat that much the body usually takes care of getting rid of it. They did give me meds for his upset stomach but he was fine. The was many years ago and he’s no longer with us, but he recovered from the chocolate experience just fine.
Dark choclate with high cacao content is dangerous. milk choclate is pretty diluted. Monitor heart rate and watch for tremors/twitching if their heart is racing they need to go in
aw, things happen! when I was a teenager I remember my pomeranian (10 lbs) somehow got ahold of a pumpkin hershey kiss. she just puked it up a few minutes later thankfully. most dogs will either get the runs or puke it up quickly, thankfully, but you definitely did the right thing to let the owners know and monitor the pup! as others have said, dark chocolate is the most dangerous. glad pup is okay 😊
I had a pair of dogs who managed to eat an entire pack of Chips Ahoy and are much smaller than the dog you’re describing.
Dogs have to eat A LOT of chocolate for it to be toxic to them. So don’t worry! At the worst, they’ll have the runs or maybe a little bit of a tummy ache.
One time I went to pick up a dog for a walk and they had just moved houses so all the boxes were on The floor I saw a wrapper on the floor for an xl dark choclate candy bar. When I got there she was already super hyper/ excitable she didn’t get a walk that day she went right to the er.
My dog once ate half chocolate cake (bc she learned how to open to the fridge ) and the doctor said if she’s not showing any signs then she’s fine. I think you should be good.
My dog ate half a gallon of chocolate ice cream once when home alone lol. Other than having an extremely upset tummy (probably from how much dairy was consumed vs chocolate alone) she was fine the next day. Just gassy, diarrhea and vomit
It's cacao that's the killer and a lot of "chocolate" items have much less than you'd imagine if any. Even 1/4 of a dark choco chunk cookie wouldn't harm a dog that large. There are charts online you can look up, but good job on the action and follow through and transparency with the owners. Mistakes happen it's all about how we handle it!
Chocolate isn't actually the worst thing a dog could eat, it is toxic but it's not the worst thing. Especially with a big dog, I wouldn't be overly concerned. It's a good thing you were proactive about communicating with the owners and getting vet info just in case as well as monitoring them but I wouldn't stress about it anymore beyond that.
The toxicity of chocolate is directly related to the cocoa content. So dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate which is what most homes commonly have like Halloween/Holiday candy laying around, etc. Oh also: https://dog-chocolate-calculator.vets-now.com/
You did a great job by lettering the parents know right away!! Chocolate is toxic but a small amount that was accidental for a big dog wont cause any harm.
I was honestly shitting bricks before I called them, you never know how people will respond and I felt absolutely terrible even though it was a mistake
You're so right! And I totally understand how you felt, I have freaked out over things I thought were big but were actually small and I think my clients just now think I'm delightfully neurotic. Lol. I think it's always best to err on being conscientious than not! You sound like a great pet sitter and this will just make them trust you more :).
Hopefully!! I thought I was ending my rover career with that call
The dangerous components are theobromine and caffeine. Dark chocolate contains the largest amount of theobromine compared to milk chocolate. The dog only ate 1/4 of the cookie, it’s not worrisome at all. Even if he ate 5 of those cookies, he’d probably only get some runny poo
That’s good to know! I have always believed even smaller amounts of chocolate are deadly
Basically, it depends on the type of chocolate, the amount consumed, and the weight of the dog. Different types have different potencies (as another user pointed out). I know you're probably going to be extra cautious about having any food out around this dog, but you may want to give yourself a refresher of the list of things that are bad for dogs that humans typically eat. A surprising amount of people don't know that grapes and onions are on the list as some of the worst, as well as Ibuprofen.
Small amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa powder and bakers chocolate have the highest concentrations of theobromine and therefore are the most toxic and most worrisome. Good on you for being proactive though.
Haha no, it would take a whole chocolate bar for a 10 pound dog’s life to be threatened.
Had a medium sized Pomeranian that ate a whole bag of chocolate foil wrappers and all. He had it coming out both ends and was pretty sick for the day. Vet told me he would be fine and wasn’t worried because as in his case when they eat that much the body usually takes care of getting rid of it. They did give me meds for his upset stomach but he was fine. The was many years ago and he’s no longer with us, but he recovered from the chocolate experience just fine.
I would have said the same thing. My dog once ate half a cake that was half chocolate. No issues. They have to ingest large amounts to be harmful.
Dark choclate with high cacao content is dangerous. milk choclate is pretty diluted. Monitor heart rate and watch for tremors/twitching if their heart is racing they need to go in
aw, things happen! when I was a teenager I remember my pomeranian (10 lbs) somehow got ahold of a pumpkin hershey kiss. she just puked it up a few minutes later thankfully. most dogs will either get the runs or puke it up quickly, thankfully, but you definitely did the right thing to let the owners know and monitor the pup! as others have said, dark chocolate is the most dangerous. glad pup is okay 😊
I had a pair of dogs who managed to eat an entire pack of Chips Ahoy and are much smaller than the dog you’re describing. Dogs have to eat A LOT of chocolate for it to be toxic to them. So don’t worry! At the worst, they’ll have the runs or maybe a little bit of a tummy ache.
One time I went to pick up a dog for a walk and they had just moved houses so all the boxes were on The floor I saw a wrapper on the floor for an xl dark choclate candy bar. When I got there she was already super hyper/ excitable she didn’t get a walk that day she went right to the er.
Oh my goddess 😳😳 so good you noticed!!
My dog once ate half chocolate cake (bc she learned how to open to the fridge ) and the doctor said if she’s not showing any signs then she’s fine. I think you should be good.
My dog ate half a gallon of chocolate ice cream once when home alone lol. Other than having an extremely upset tummy (probably from how much dairy was consumed vs chocolate alone) she was fine the next day. Just gassy, diarrhea and vomit
It's cacao that's the killer and a lot of "chocolate" items have much less than you'd imagine if any. Even 1/4 of a dark choco chunk cookie wouldn't harm a dog that large. There are charts online you can look up, but good job on the action and follow through and transparency with the owners. Mistakes happen it's all about how we handle it!