Please Dog Owners, Keep Your Halloween Chocolate Safe.

[Darkmatter]

Yesterday I woke up the same time I always do, around 9 am. By this time my girlfriends 11 year old son is at school, but I noticed that there was candy, and candy wrappers strewn about his chair in the living room. I was angry because I had told him repeatedly not to leave chocolate around, as it would poison my dog.

I then look to the hallway and a small amount of fear takes my breath for a moment. Candy wrappers. Half eaten, and shredded ,With dog teeth marks all over.

I find that my dog is very very hyper, and on closer inspection is having tremors as well. In a few minutes he vomits violently, and starts chocking on a pieces of the wrapper he ate, I had to reach in with my fingers and pull them from his esophagus. Then he lays down in a frightening "dead dog" pose.On his back, with his toungue protruding.

Please keep in mind that I am struggling financially at the moment. I would have taken him to the vet as soon as a knew he ate chocolate but this would mean we can not pay our rent. Which is a reality now. Because at this point we are going, no matter what.

Long story short, they give charcoal, he sleeps the rest of the day, and he is better this morning. It was a close call. He is ok now. We are all so relieved ,except for the squirrels.

Please guys, keep your Halloween candy safe, and don't let your kids hold onto it if you have dogs.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Darkmatter

[JB420]

dm that is really funny and sad at the same time. Glad you found your dog in time. My dog has eaten aqll kinds of crazy things, chocolate, nd almost a half pound of mj once, but he's a big dog and never even acted like it bothered him lol

[Beans]

Knowing which chocolate is the most toxic is important, but leaves one wondering how much must be eaten to poison a dog. The list in this box should be helpful. Maybe you can clip it and post it on your refrigerator?

 

• White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
• Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
• Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
• Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog

[SparklyBuds]

Wow! I'm glad your furry friend is okay!! Our dogs have got into a little chocolate before (like one choc. chip cookie) but nothing like your little guy. I'm really glad he's okay. Sucks about the rent though; I hope your landlord is understanding.