Dogs are curious animals and will eat anything, regardless of if its healthy for them or not. Selecting dog friendly treats is essential for maintaining your pet’s health.
White chocolate is favorite snack of humans, but can dogs eat white chocolate? Dogs can eat white chocolate, but in tiny amounts.
Avoiding Chocolates
Dogs must avoid dark and bitter chocolates as much as possible. Theobromine is a chemical within chocolate that can poison dogs. White chocolate is fine in moderation and with supervision.
What Makes Chocolates Poisonous?
Theobromine is a chemical that is similar to caffeine. Theobromine can be found in coca products, which chocolate is made from. Coco products provide cocoa’s bitter taste. Dark chocolate can have different cocoa concentrations, up to 80%.
Even a small dosage of theobromine can be detrimental to a dog’s health.
A Formula to Keep in-Mind
Typically, the darker a chocolate is, the higher theobromine concentration. The chocolates with the highest theobromine concentrations are dark chocolate and baker chocolates.
White chocolate presents a low risk of chocolate poisoning in dogs but there is still a risk. White chocolate contains 0.25 mg per ounce of theobromine.
Milk chocolate typically contains between 44 and 58 mgs per ounce of theobromine.
Baker’s chocolate contains heavily concentrated theobromine, around 390 mgs per ounce. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous chocolate to dogs.
Can Dogs Eat White Chocolate Though?
Dogs can eat white chocolate but with moderation. White chocolate contains a low concentration of Theobromine and is mostly based off milk and sugar.
Clinical Signs of Chocolate Poisoning
The clinical signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs can be delayed by several hours. The type and quantity of chocolate consumed can affect the type of exhibited clinical signs.
The most common clinical signs are:
- Vomiting
- Increased thirst
- Restlessness
- Excessive urine
- And other clinical signs
Dark Chocolates: How They Affect Your Pet
Semi-sweet and dark chocolates are 4x as poisonous as white chocolates.
For example, a 50-pound dog would only need to consume one ounce of baker’s chocolate or nine ounces of milk chocolate to exhibit indications of poisoning.
Fatty Chocolate Side Effects
Chocolate’s high fat concentration can contribute to pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas
While white chocolate may have lower levels of theobromine, it can have high levels of milk fat, making gastrointestinal upset possible. White chocolate snacks can be eaten with moderation.
Final Tips
If given the opportunity, dogs will eat chocolate regardless of the health risks. Monitor your dog’s environment to make sure they cannot consume chocolate.
Call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline® as soon as possible, if you suspect your pet has consumed chocolate.
