Morris
Our 4 month old poodle puppies just ate some choc frogs. Not sure how many. Some white frogs and some milk choc. We are 50 k from vet and it is midnight what should we do
One Response to “Chocolate Poisoning”:
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Pamela Selvage says:
October 24th, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Chocolate contains thoebromine that can cause excitability and hyperactivity in any dog if a large amount is ingested and if not treated can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and sometimes death, if left untreated. Its compounds are simular to caffeine, which animals, especially dogs, can't metobolize. And especially with small dogs. It is best to contact your vet right away, and if available, an emergency service or after hours vet hospital.
Following is a quote from the wikapedia concerning chocolate:
Theobromine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TheobromineSystematic (IUPAC) name 3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione Identifiers CAS number ATC code C03 R03 PubChem Chemical data Formula C7H8N4O2[1] Mol. mass 180.164 g/mol SMILES & Synonyms xantheose
diurobromine
3,7-dimethylxanthinePharmacokinetic data Bioavailability ? Metabolism Hepatic demethylation and oxidation[2] Half life 7.1 +/- 0.7 hours Excretion Renal (10% unchanged, rest as metabolites)[2] Therapeutic considerations Pregnancy cat. ?
Legal status Uncontrolled substance
Routes Oral Theobromine, also known as xantheose,[1] is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate. It is in the methylxanthine class of chemical compounds,[3] which also includes the similar compounds theophylline and caffeine.[1] Despite its name, the compound contains no bromine — theobromine is derived from Theobroma, the name of the genus of the cacao tree, (which itself is made up of the Greek roots theo ("God") and brosi ("food"), meaning "food of the gods")[4] with the suffix -ine given to alkaloids and other basic nitrogen-containing compounds.[5]
Theobromine is a water insoluble, crystalline, bitter powder; the colour has been listed as either white or colourless.[6] It has a similar, but lesser, effect to caffeine, making it a lesser homologue. Theobromine is an isomer of theophylline as well as paraxanthine. Theobromine is categorized as a dimethyl xanthine,[7] which means it is a xanthine[8] with two methyl groups.[9]
Theobromine was first discovered in 1841[10] in cacao beans by Russian chemist Alexander Woskresensky. Theobromine was first isolated from the seeds of the cacao tree in 1878[11] and then shortly afterwards was synthesized from xanthine by Hermann Emil Fischer.[12]
Animals
The amount of theobromine found in chocolate is small enough that it can be safely consumed by humans, but animals that metabolize theobromine more slowly, such as dogs, can succumb to theobromine poisoning from as little as 50 grams of chocolate for a smaller dog and 400 grams for an average-sized dog. The same risk is reported for cats as well, although cats are less likely to ingest sweet food, having no sweet taste receptors. Complications include digestive issues, dehydration, excitability, and a slow heart rate. Later stages of theobromine poisoning include epileptic-like seizures and death. If caught early on, theobromine poisoning is treatable.[36] Although not usual, the effects of theobromine poisoning can become fatal.
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