Help. Please! I need advice urgently.

[Tinker_Belle]

I turned my back for ten minutes earlier to get a coffee and the Setter puppy managed to eat at least one small bar of chocolate and a small glass of yeast mix. A shot glass size.
He took this stuff off of the dining room table. The door had been left open.

He was sick twice/three times and his poos are slightly runny. Apart from that he is just hyper and panting.

Is there anything I should keep an eye out for? Is this stuff really dangerous to dogs?

I'm really worried and am not sure what to do. Is it likely this stuff will cause him serious problems?

He's eating and drinking ok.

 

[splashgirl45]

as he is a puppy i would phone the vet and ask their advice. an adult dogs system can cope better than a pups.. so better to be safe in my opinion....

 

[Tinker_Belle]

He's coming up to about 9 months old so not a young, young pup.

Thanks though.

 

[Booboos]

Chocolate toxicity depends on the size of the dog, the amount of chocolate eaten and the dog's tendency to react to it. Toxic reactions include vomiting and hyperactivity so I would certainly call your vet now. Better safe than sorry!

Hope he feels better soon!

 

[numptynoelle]

I'd be on the phone to the vet tbh - I'd be worried about the yeast activating in his stomach as it can release lots of gas. Not sure if that's how it works in dogs(!) but I'd phone the vet.

Hope pup is ok x

 

[joeanne]

A small amount of chocolate, whilst not great, shouldnt do him any long term harm.
The yeast on the other hand could do.
Raw yeast can ferment in the stomach to form ethanol, which in turn can cause ethanol toxicity. Thats dangerous.
The fact he has upchucked is good, but given his panting and hyperness, I would call the vet and ask if he can be seen.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Chocolate toxicity depends on the size of the dog, the amount of chocolate eaten and the dog's tendency to react to it. Toxic reactions include vomiting and hyperactivity so I would certainly call your vet now. Better safe than sorry!

Hope he feels better soon!

When he was sick, there were lumps of chocolate in his vomit and it was quite a lot of sick.

He is calmer now.

I think I'll phone the vets though. I can't believe what he did in such a short space of time

Thanks.

 

[TheBlackMoth]

If it's any help - and I know all dogs are different - but my JRT boy found a hidden 100g bar of chocolate in the car once and had eaten it all before we noticed. He was absolutely fine.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Was the chocolate milk chocolate - as I understand it is less harmful than plain chocolate. Call vets - in the meantime make sure he has access to plenty of water - out old setter used to steal things all the time - anything that wasn't nailed don in fact and some things that were!!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

If it's any help - and I know all dogs are different - but my JRT boy found a hidden 100g bar of chocolate in the car once and had eaten it all before we noticed. He was absolutely fine.

That is reassuring!

I've felt his stomach and it isn't distended or uncomfortable and I've watched him when he's poo'd and he passed it ok.

He's behaving like he's been out for an exciting walk. Just excitable really but he's naturally like that so it's hard to tell what's normal and what's not.

Thanks.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Was the chocolate milk chocolate - as I understand it is less harmful than plain chocolate. Call vets - in the meantime make sure he has access to plenty of water - out old setter used to steal things all the time - anything that wasn't nailed don in fact and some things that were!!

It was cappucino flavour and plain flavour. It was only little bars, each pack had 18 little squares in it so they weren't huge.

He's got free access to water and is more than keen to eat dog biscuits if he can get them. They're now out of his reach

Thanks.

 

[Booboos]

Hun I really, really don't mean this unkindly, but leave HHO and call your vet. Only he (she?) can reassure you if all is well, or help you if your puppy needs help. It's not that late and this is what vets are for!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Hun I really, really don't mean this unkindly, but leave HHO and call your vet. Only he (she?) can reassure you if all is well, or help you if your puppy needs help. It's not that late and this is what vets are for!

I've left a message on their ansaphone stating the problem and saying it's urgent. If they haven't called back within the next ten minutes I'll try them again.

Thanks all for the advice. Never had to deal with this sort of problem before.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

what a numpty dog, easy done though, i just caught my dog eyeing up my lindts chocolate bunny, she knows that it is on pain of death that she lays a fang on it!!

It's Theobromine that is the ingredient that causes the problem. It would take about a 400g bar of chocolate to kill a dog of that sort of size. The best thing is that he has been sick. Do you have any charcoal biscuits, you usually get them in those boxes of 'shapes'. Or charcoal tablets crushed to help neutralise what's left in the gut. That will help with the yeast too. It wil lbe agood sign if he is passing wind more than usual i think.
Back to the choc, white is least dangerous and milk next.
Keep an eye out for muscle spasms and fitting. I am sure he won't but better to be aware. Obviously call the vet if these symptoms present themselves.
Hope he is ok.

 

[reddie]

Yesterday our old dog ate half a easter egg and chocs inside it, wrappers as well. he's been perfectly okay.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

It depends on how much he weights, what sort of chocolate he ate and how much. Note that the theobromine in the chocolate, is a long lasting "poison", according to the article below, it can take up to 24 hours before symptoms shows.

FROM INTERNET http://www.vetrica.com/care/dog/chocolate.shtml

Effects of Chocolate Poisoning

If a dog consumes enough theobromine, (see How Much is Enough?), the symptoms of poisoning will occur. Initially, the dog will develop abdominal pain and vomiting which may contain blood. The vomit in most cases will contain substantial amounts of chocolate, giving it a very characteristic smell. The dog may be restless, drooling saliva and could have difficulty standing or walking. Increased thirst is also common.

As the syndrome progresses, in the more severely affected dogs, there is an increased rate of breathing, muscle tremors, or rigidity. Urine may contain blood and the colour of the gums may take on a bluish hue, (this is known as "cyanosis"). Eventually, the dog may develop convulsions and die.

In the majority of cases, the symptoms occur within a few hours, but it has been known to be delayed for as long as 24 hours. It can take as long as three days for the dog to recover completely.
Types of Chocolate

The different forms of chocolate and its by-products contain different amounts of theobromine. The following list is in decreasing order of quantities of theobromine:

Cocoa Beans
Cocoa Powder
Dark (Plain) Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Drinking Chocolate (Powder)
White Chocolate

Practically, this means that white chocolate has the lowest risk of toxicity, and dark chocolate the highest. The majority of cases of serious poisoning incidences (in the UK) involve the continental European types of chocolate, because these contain more cocoa and less milk. There have also been many reports of deaths occurring in dogs that have eaten cocoa powder.
How Much is Enough?

The quantity of chocolate that must be eaten before toxic symptoms appear is different for each dog. What could be lethal for one dog, may be no problem for another. According to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, 130mg/kg was fatal to one dog.

Taking this as a base, a 20kg dog (about the size of most Border Collies), it may only require 130x20 = 2600mg of theobromine to be a fatal dose.

The quantity of theobromine in chocolate varies, even within the same broad groups mentioned above, but dark chocolate can contain as much as 16mg of theobromine per gram of chocolate. So, dividing our 2600mg lethal dose by 16mg leaves us with a figure of 162.5g of dark chocolate as being potentially lethal to a 20kg dog. That's about six ounces. Most cases of chocolate poisoning involve dogs that have eaten a whole box of chocolates from under a Christmas tree, and deaths in these, often quite large dogs are not in any way uncommon. Cocoa powder is even more dangerous. It can contain as much as 50% more theobromine than plain chocolate, so as little as four ounces could be fatal.

If your dog eats any significant quantity of cocoa powder or dark chocolate go immediately to the vet.
DO NOT WAIT FOR SYMPTOMS TO BEGIN.

These figures relate to the minimum fatal doses for dogs. Most 20kg dogs won't die if they eat six ounces of dark chocolate. However, some will, and most will be very ill at the very least.
Treatment

Theobromine has no specific antidote. Chocolate poisoning is in every sense of the word an emergency, and we may not be able to take time to fully discuss treatment options in the first instance. Convulsing dogs require immediate attention, and general anaesthesia may be required to stop the seizures. (See Epilepsy). If the dog is not fitting, then more treatment options are available and the outlook is better. What follows is general treatment advice for the treatment of chocolate poisoning. Every dog is different, and in each case, the exact treatment protocol may have to be adjusted according to the quantity of chocolate thought to have been consumed, and the symptoms that the dog is displaying.

In dogs that have only recently consumed the chocolate, if they have not vomited, then vomiting is usually induced. This can be by the administration of drugs such as apomorphine (which very reliably causes vomiting in dogs), or by giving a washing soda crystal orally. Once the vomiting has stopped, an intestinal adsorbent can be given, such as activated charcoal. Intestinal adsorbents slow, or prevent the absorption of toxic substances from the intestines.

If the dog is vomiting already, then anti-vomiting drugs may need to be given first, especially if the chocolate was consumed many hours previously. The most commonly used drugs of this type are called metoclopramide, butorphanol and acepromazine. Once the vomiting has been controlled, then intestinal adsorbents may safely be given. This is important because theobromine, once it has been deactivated by the liver, and excreted into the intestines can become reactivated, and reabsorbed again.

In almost all cases, the circulation needs to be supported by giving fluids intravenously. Some dogs that have abnormal heart rhythms will need drugs to combat this.

Chocolate is digested very much more slowly by dogs than people. Because of this, symptoms may not appear for many hours after the chocolate is eaten. Do not be fooled by this into thinking that everything is OK. The earlier this is treated the more likely you are to save the dog's life. In addition to this, the very slow deactivation of theobromine by dogs means that the effects of chocolate poisoning can be very prolonged - up to three days, so your dog may need to be hospitalised for all this time.
Outlook for Affected Dogs.

The outlook very much depends on how much chocolate or cocoa powder that the dog has eaten, and how long prior to being seen by the vet that the dog ate it. Experience shows that up to 50% of dogs will die if treatment is delayed until severe, persistent vomiting has developed. If seizures have developed, then an even higher proportion of dogs will die. Treated early enough, except for dogs that have consumed very large quantities of chocolate or cocoa powder, the outlook is generally quite good.

Recovered dogs show no long term ill effects from the poisoning.

Copyright ©Vetrica, all rights reserved.
Last updated 9 February 2004.

 

[Thelwell_Girl]

Not all dogs will react to something in the same way! If one dog has been fine with 100g of choc, another dog might not be able to handle it. Call the vet, and if they aren't available, call the out of hours vet, or medivet.

Hope poochy is ok ((hugs))

 

[Sarah Sum1]

No advice but i really hope pups ok!

 

[prosefullstop]

Puppy Stella was a nightmare scavenger. Off the top of my head, she ate from the city streets: a dark chocolate croissant, a cupcake with bright blue icing, pork ribs, various bits of horrid old meat, cigarette stubs, newspaper cuttings and umpteen slivers of pretzels and baguettes. She never so much as puked and digested everything just fine. Her one undoing? Wild mushrooms, which put her in hospital for three days.

She is almost reformed, but still has the odd slip-up, mostly over pizza crusts or bits of bread. If my dog was panting and pacing, I would definitely telephone the vet and get their advice. As others have said, every dog has a different level of tolerance for toxins.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Hope your pup is okay this morning and the vet got back to you. Had I been on here last night I too would have been urging you to call the vet, they are better placed to advise than the members on here (with the exception of Cayla perhaps). The hyper behaviour and panting would have concerned me .

 

[numptynoelle]

Been thinking about pup all night - how is he this morning?

 

[Spudlet]

Any news?

Argh falming 10 characters rule! This is ridiculous!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Update on the scavenging, theiving little ginger ball!

The vets called back and said that as he had been sick about half a dozen times, alot of it probably did not enter his system. The vet was pleased that there were lumps of chocolate in the vomit so he probably didn't digest that much.

I stayed up until around 4am to watch him and clear up after him. The vet advised to keep an eye on him and make sure he gets plenty of water. As he'd already been sick there wasn't much they could do apparently.

She did say to keep an eye out for any signs of him fitting or anything like that, unlikely but possible.
He's more his old self this morning apart from a bit excitable but the vet thinks it's the equivalent of a child having too many E-numbers. It will wear off.

We have to keep an eye on him over the next few days but he seems to have vomited up the biggest amount of what he ate so alot of it is out of his system.

The vet is not too worried and he should be fine, I've just been advised to keep an eye on him.

He ate his breakfast this morning (half of what he'd usually have as didn't want to make him sick again) and his poos are back to normal.

Lesson learned though. He can't be trusted an inch where food is concerned so anything I do now I'll either clip his lead to the banister if I'm hanging washing out or I'll keep all doors shut.

Little monster!

I am so relieved he's ok though. I was really worried last night and asked advice on here as I've never had the problem before and wasn't sure if I was panicking about it and making it seem worse or whether I was missing any signs that he was seriously ill.

He's still panting a little but not as much as he was.

Thanks all for the advice and the good wishes. I felt terrible last night and was panicky. I can deal with horses being ill because I know exactly what to look for but dogs are a different matter, beyond the basic signs of ill health I didn't know what else to look for so thanks for all the advice and calming posts

 

[Chestnuttymare]

glad he is ok.
PMSL at how you would tell that a setter was more hyper than normal.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Glad he is okay today, why do they always choose bank holidays to do things like this. You can bet he won't have learned his lesson either, in fact probably got a taste for forbidden stuff.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

glad he is ok.
PMSL at how you would tell that a setter was more hyper than normal.

I know! But scarily, he was a lot more hyper than usual. Throwing himself around the living room and just being a general maniac. I literally thought the chocolate had addled his brain at one point

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Glad he is okay today, why do they always choose bank holidays to do things like this. You can bet he won't have learned his lesson either, in fact probably got a taste for forbidden stuff.

Sod's Law isn't it?!

He definitely won't have learnt his lesson. He's as mad as a hatter anyway but last night was something else. I am not trusting him an inch in future. When I left him he was literally dead to the world, totally fast asleep. I came back ten minutes later and it was chaos. He'd devoured everything in sight in minutes. He must have an inbuilt sensor for when he's left alone

I can trust our Spaniel with food completely. Harley on the other hand, will take anything he can get his grubby little paws on!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Glad he is ok!!

As I said our setter was the most appalling thief her entire life but she made it to 15 with out going to the vets for anything!! Between her and our old labrador there wasn't much they didn't eat - Easter eggs, chocolate christmas decorations, choclate christmas presents from under the tree, food striaght out of saucepans on the hob, anything edible that could be nicked out of shopping baskets, anything that could be nicked from the fridge - including butter and lard - but one of the most memeorable thefts was the bag of sugar she ate. She kept drinking and drinking water until her tummy was a balloon and then barfed the whole lot up in a big sugary puddle!! She then took herself off to bed for a nap whilst we had to clear it up........

The motto of the story is - if you have a setter that thieves nothing is safe as they are tall lanky and clever so will work out how to steal anything that is or isn't nailed down!! You need to lock stuff up and have eyes in the back of your head!!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Oh my goodness. A whole bag of sugar?! The chocolate Harley had was a fondanty type thing. Chocolate coated with fondant filling so I assume there was a lot of sugar in it which is why he's drinking more than usual yesterday and today.

I have well and truly learned that he cannot be trusted at all. He is definitely a thief where food is concerned so from now on I shall be hyper-vigilant. Hindsight and all that

Very relieved he is ok as he was a hyper lunatic last night. He was off his head completely

It's reassuring to know though that yours survived to 15 without any damage done through what she ate

 

[Booboos]

Brilliant news!!!

Betty has an absolute obsession with chocolate and although we are always very careful she still manages to nick the odd bit! (doesn't help that I am a chocolate addict so there is chocolate everywhere in the house!!)