What is it with dogs and chocolate?

[Mutley]

Why is chocolate so bad for dogs? And why do they love it so much? I tell you, all I have to do is THINK the word and my older dog is all over me. I wanted to eat a little chocolate icecream and I had to put the dogs outside just so I could eat in peace. And they're not like this with other food.

[meow2u3]

1. I had a dog who died of pancreatic cancer

When I was a kid, my Belgian Malinois, Brandy, loved chocolate chip cookies, to the exclusion even of filet mignon. My mom kept feeding him those cookies, unknowingly killing him in the process. She just didn't know chocolate and canine chemistry didn't mix.

[Mutley]

2. I don't give her chocolate.

But my SO gave her one M&M ONCE and now she's a chocolate fiend!

[Beaverhausen]

3. I think I heard somewhere it is the caffeine in chocolate that is harmful

does this ring a bell with anyone else?

[ET Awful]

4. Not an exact match, but here is some good info from Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoa.htm

Look here too:

http://www.gsrne.org/Chocolate.htm

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Thanks for these links. Very important info.

[China_cat]

6. The ingredient that is so bad for dogs

is theobromine. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine.

Cocoa and chocolate products may be toxic or lethal to dogs and other domestic animals such as horses because these animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans. The heart, central nervous system, and kidneys are affected. Early signs of theobromine poisoning in dogs include nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased urination or incontinence. The treatment at this stage is to induce vomiting. Cardiac arrhythmias and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisoning.

I don't understand people who continue to take the risk saying 'well, I only let him/her have just a little bit once in a while'. You never know when that 'just a little bit' is going to be just a little bit too much and you end up with a dead pet.

[Mutley]

7. Well, I don't give her chocolate.

She had it once. All I'm saying is that when I eat chocolate she goes nuts.