Many people associate chocolate with happiness, but that is not always the case. Some say eating too much chocolate can be harmful to your health or even cause death for you or a dog depending on what kind of chocolate it is.
Some individuals claim that by adding cocoa into their diet, it helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Others believe that ingesting unsweetened chocolate may actually be harmful due to the high sugar content.
Many veterinarians agree that excess chocolate consumption can be dangerous for dogs. However, none recommend limiting chocolate intake for humans. That’s because we cats are different than dogs!
Here we will discuss whether or not chocolate is toxic to cats. We will also look at some potential symptoms as well as possible treatments if needed. So, stay tuned and read on to see what has been discussed here!
Disclaimer: The material in this article should be considered educational information only. It is our hope that you will use these tips to help your pet live a healthy life, however, we cannot guarantee any results. As with anything related to pets, please do your research before trying anything new. If you find something works for your pet, great, keep doing that! But if it does not, try something else.
Will Chocolate Poison A Dog?
It is very difficult to get enough chocolate to make it lethal to an average sized dog.
The effects of chocolate poisoning are often delayed
Chocolates contain ingredients that can be harmful to your cat. These include cocoa (the ingredient in chocolate), sugar, milk, cream, butter, salt, and/or vegetable ghee (clarified butter) oil.
Some recipes may not use pure cocoa powder but instead call for baking soda or tap water as an additional ingredient. These changes make the chocolate less rich and potentially more digestible for your feline friend. If your pet has ingested too much chocolate, he may experience all of the following symptoms:
You can also visit the ASPCA’s website or app for tips on how to help treat your cat after she is exposed to chocolate. The organization offers various treatments depending on the severity of exposure and what kind of chocolate was eaten.
There are many different types of chocolate
While some people may believe that chocolate is harmless, it can be very harmful to certain animals or cats at least. If you are ever in doubt about whether or not chocolate is safe for your cat, do not give her any!
Many dogs and cats develop an eating disorder after being given too much chocolate. This happens because they cannot stop themselves from eating as much as possible due to how delicious the food is.
Some of the more common symptoms include:
Throwing up
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Your pet may also have red eyes, swollen paws, or fur with brownish coloration which comes from stomach acidity.
If you notice any of these symptoms, please take your dog or cat to see their doctor right away! Fortunately, most cases of oral poisoning will heal on its own if enough time has passed since the overdose.
Always keep chocolate out of reach of your cat
With all life forms, individual animals are different in their sensitivity to specific substances. Some people refer to this as being allergic to something.
Chocolate is one such substance that can have varying effects on cats. Although most dogs are not particularly sensitive to chocolate, some individuals believe that it may cause skin issues or even oral health problems for certain breeds like Persian and Greyhounds!
For these reasons, making sure your kitten does not come into contact with any chocolate or cocoa products can be very important.
If you are already aware that your kitty has a taste for sweets, then keeping a close eye on her while she’s eating is an easy way to prevent additional exposure.
However, if you find yourself with a cuddly kitten who just cannot get enough of what seems to be the world’s sweetest food, there are ways to help mitigate the risk of poisoning.
Call your vet immediately if you think your cat has eaten chocolate
If your cat is acting lethargic, droopy, or has red eyes as well as green ones, she may have consumed too much chocolate.
If your cat is vomiting, having diarrhea, or looks weak and sickly, call the doctor right away to make sure her health does not suffer due to something that was natural.
Sadly, though, even when people mean no harm, their actions can still hurt others. For example, what seems like an innocent piece of chocolate could actually be harmful to your pet.
When someone accidentally gives your dog or cat food with cocoa in it, how bad they feel about themselves usually equals how badly their loved one will be affected. Fortunately, there are things we can do to help prevent this.
Fortunately, most dogs and cats are very good at telling us when they’re hungry or thirsty. They get frequent signals from us, so they learn to recognize them for what they are.
With pets, however, sometimes they need more time to tell us. This is why it is important to check up on your animal frequently.
Treat the symptoms of chocolate poisoning
Even if you are not giving your cat any sweets, she may be exposed to too much chocolate in other ways. For example, when you cook for others, they might leave leftover snacks or ingredients at the table that contain chocolate.
If you are cooking for people who love chocolate, then there is no need to save any pieces for yourself! If you would like to keep some for later, try to use less than half a bar per serving or only bake it for a few minutes before eating it.
You can also make sure to wash all dishes used for chocolate immediately to prevent bits from sticking in the food.
Lastly, if your child loves chocolate, have them put their favorite foods away so that they do not access it. This will help reduce exposure for both children and kittens.
Chocolate can be deadly to our furry friends if we are unable to avoid it or treat its effects once it has been consumed. Hopefully this article inspired you to start baking with healthier alternatives to cocoa powder.
Seek immediate veterinary attention
If you find your cat acting nervous or agitated, it is very important to take them in immediately for evaluation. A vet can test your dog for symptoms of chocolate poisoning to determine if this was the cause of their erratic behavior.
If left untreated, chocolate ingestion can result in death for the animal due to intestinal obstruction. Also, vomiting often accompanies chocolate consumption so having a checkup makes sense even if your pet seems better-informed about food safety.
Fortunately, most dogs are able to vomit up some or all of what they ingest and will do that within an hour to 24 hours depending on the size of the dose. This helps reduce any risk of long term health problems since the stomach acid neutralizes much of the chocolate.
Sadly though, not everyone is as resilient when it comes to dietary changes. Some animals require longer observation before being allowed back on solid foods. The length of time needed to reestablish eating habits depends on the individual and how responsive the animal has been in past situations.
Given all these risks, making sure your pets are protected from potentially lethal substances like cocoa butter is more than just a good idea.
Let your cat calm down before handling
Sometimes, even though you love your cat very much, she can be quite annoying at times. She may try to get away when you are trying to pet her or she may want to play but you don’t have any toys for her.
She may also become uncomfortable or angry around other people or dogs. This is totally normal!
Chocolate is one of the most common things that set off your dog or cat. Many cats will refuse to eat food that has chocolate in it and some dogs won’t like foods with cocoa in them either.
If your friend or family member gives their beloved cat or dog some chocolate, they could end up needing veterinary attention.
In this article we look into the dangers of chocolate for cats and what you should do if your cat gets hungry and wants to eat something containing chocolate.
Rinse your cat with water
While chocolate can be delicious for people, it is not appropriate to let your dog or cat lick any leftover chocolate. In fact, eating too much chocolate can be harmful to them!
Chocolate contains chemicals called flavonoids that help prevent blood from coagulating in wounds. However, when consumed by cats or dogs, these chemicals may have the opposite effect and actually promote bleeding instead. This could pose a risk if the animal has puncture or open wound sites such as ears or mouths.
At this time, there are no guidelines stating how many grams of chocolate are needed before animals become critically ill. But, most experts agree that the more chocolate an animal consumes, the higher the chances of serious health problems.
