In a single word: yes. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is related to caffeine and is definitely toxic to dogs. However, you don’t need to panic if your dog has just swiped a bite of chocolate cake off your plate. It requires a decent amount of chocolate to cause a toxic reaction.

Different chocolates have different amounts of theobromine. White chocolate has virtually none, milk chocolate has a little, dark chocolate has more, and baker’s chocolate has the most. So what type of chocolate your dog just ate will guide how much you should worry. And the larger your dog, the more chocolate is required to be toxic. For example, a 50-pound dog can eat twice as much chocolate as a 25-pound dog. In all but the smallest dogs, the toxic levels of chocolate are measured in ounces, if not pounds, which is why you don’t need to panic when a single bite is eaten.


But that doesn’t mean you should feed your dog chocolate -- you really shouldn’t. Even a little bit of chocolate can give your dog a taste for it, and you know how dogs are: once they like something, they will manage to find it and to eat it.

The most common signs of chocolate toxicity are vomiting and diarrhea. Trembling, muscle spasms or hyperactivity are also common. If you suspect chocolate poisoning, the first step is to induce vomiting to get the poison out of the stomach. Activated charcoal can then be administered to absorb the toxins still in the system. But you know what Daily Paws always recommends: call your vet ASAP!

Never totally trust what you read on the internet. Always consult a veterinarian, professional trainer or other expert.