Yesterday my 5 month old gsp eat some chocolate. I know it's poisonous to dogs but he hasn't been ill. Does it take time to take effect or is he just lucky? Phoebe

The amount varies for different dogs - some are more tolerant than others -the effects can usually be seen within a few hours - sickness and hyperactivity are just two - and the later may not be too noticable in a GSP ;)

Thanks, he seems fine! :-D

Hi Fee Fee,
My GSD's loved chocolate.  I know that it is supposed to be bad for them, but I found a small amount now and again didn't do them any harm.

Note: Chocolates are 'NOT' good for the wife, she get very bad tempered and fly's rages.
( Do you think she get this way because it was her chocolates that I give to the dogs?

Harry C.

I came home from work today to find that my 2 adult dogs had managed to eat the contents of 2 full selection boxes, as well as what was left in another 3. :(  Luckily the pup was in the crate. She didn't get any. What a shame. ;)

The dogs also emptied the bread bin - I've now got to go out for more bread. Dogs, who'd have them :)

Hi there

The toxic compound in chocolate is theobromine, which dogs break down far less efficiently than humans.  Theobromine affects the CNS, heart and occasionally blood pressure.  Signs of chocolate poisoning usually occur within about 12 hours after ingestion, and include vomiting, diarrhoea, excitement (trembling), seizures, polydipsia, polyuria and muscle spasms.

However, theobromine levels in milk or white chocolate are relatively low, severe cases tend to occur when a dog has ingested dark or cooking chocolate. (I believe that cooking chocolate has about 10 times more theobromine per gram than milk chocolate, but I don't have a toxicology book to hand).

As long as your dog seems normal in himself, then he should be ok.  It tends to be very small dogs who have severe reactions (I'm guessing that gsp is German Shorthaired Pointer?  Sorry I'm a bit crap with the board's terminology!)

If it reassures you at all, my 6 month old whippet ate half a kilo of Thornton's truffles the other day.  I didn't find out until it was too late to give him an emetic, so I just kept an eye on him.  He looked a bit sick for a while, but soon perked up and the next day managed to sneak a Creme Egg out of my handbag.  They never learn!

Hope your pup's feeling better now! HTH.

Mary-Caroline

P.S.  Should mention, that any dog with cardiac problems should be seen by a vet if chocolate ingestion is suspected, as this can complicate matters.

There would certainly have been a fatality if MY dog had eaten a half kilo of Thorntons truffles...I would have killed her myself :D

My dog chewed his way into a 1kilo tin of Roses chocolate before Xmas.He ate the lot including wrappers so I rushed him off to the vet. He had no side effects apart from flatulance & foil wrapped poos for a couple of days!!
DaisyM

I believe it depends on how delicate the dog is on the whole digestive side, if the dog is quite robust you might not see any effects beyond flatulance, but if they have a delicate system you might get a more severe reaction. The OAP has always eaten chocolate, there have never been any obvious effects with him and he actively seeks it out, the youngster hates it.

I panicked on christmas day when one of my relatives fed our dog a black majic chocolate, she was trying to be kind. Luckily nothing happened maybe because it was such a small amont of chocolate. Tyler enjoyed it though!

Is white chocolate less or more toxic that milk chocolate?

sarah xxxx

Less - cooking chocolate is the worst, followed by dark chocolate, then milk :)

Daisy