Poisonings are a common problem for dogs because of how quickly they can consume food. With Beagles this problem is magnified by the fact that they have a voracious appetite, the ability to sniff out food and a rather small size making them vulnerable to lesser qualities of toxins. One toxin that you should pay particular attention to, especially around the holidays is chocolate.

What is Chocolate Toxicity?

Chocolate Toxicity is poisoning caused by the ingestion of Theobromine that is found in chocolates. Theobromine is a Xanthine Alkaloid in the same family as caffeine. It is present in different quantities depending on the type of chocolate. Milk chocolate contains 44 mg per ounce, semi sweet chocolate contains 150 mg per ounce and baker’s chocolate contains 390 mg per ounce. The amount that your dog needs to eat to be toxic depends on their size and their sensitivity to Theobromine.

What are signs or symptoms of poisoning?

Theobromine targets the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and the peripheral nerves. The signs of poisoning include vomiting, hyperactivity, diarrhea, restlessness, excessive urination, heart arrhythmia, excessive body temperature, seizures, muscle tremors, coma and death.

How is Chocolate Toxicity diagnosed?

The symptoms of this type of poisoning can mimic those of many other poisonings. For a positive diagnosis your dogs stomach contents, blood or urine can be analyzed for presence of Theobromine.

How is it treated?

If you suspect that your dog has ingested chocolate you should contact your veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital as soon as possible. Your vet will induce vomiting to attempt to remove as much of the toxin as possible. They will also give your Beagle activated charcoal to attempt to absorb as much of the Theobromine as possible. There is no actual antidote for Chocolate Toxicity however. Treatment for the condition is to treat the affects of the poisoning so that your dog will survive once the poison has worked its way through their body. Your vet will monitor your dogs condition and administer medications as necessary. This might include anti-convulsants, sedatives and intravenous fluids.

How much chocolate is toxic?

This differs based on the size of the dog and their particular sensitivity. For a Beagle it can be as little as a few ounces of unsweetened baker’s chocolate.  Here is a chart that you can use as a general guideline to find out toxic levels although every effort should be made so that your dog never ingests any chocolate.

Toxic Chocolate Dosages

Dog’s weight in pounds	Amount of milk chocolate in ounces	Amount of unsweetened chocolate in ounces.	Approximate amount of Theobromine
5	4 oz	0.5 oz	200 mg
10	8 oz	1.5 oz	400 mg
20	16 oz	2.5 oz	900 mg
30	28 oz	3.2 oz	1300 mg
40	40 oz	4.5 oz	1800 mg
50	48 oz	5.5 oz	2250 mg
60	60 oz	6.7 oz	2700 mg