Anyones dog get away with eating chocolate?!

[TataClaire]

Very naughty 14.5 yr old doddery lab managed to find it in himself to steal a load of food off the worktop earlier despite it being pushed back and I realised he'd had three quarters of a 100g bar of dark fairtrade chocolate - he's done it loads of times before - he once stole an entire box of after eights - anyone elses dog get away with chocolate stealing?!

My last dog ate 3 boxes of Belgian chocolates - they were sealed inside a box of other Christmas presents that had been delivered and I only left him to do the school run (app. 15 minutes).

He had the worst upset stomach for a couple of hours and then was fine.

Our Lab X once ate an entire bar of Baileys chocolate when he was about 9 months old. Swift trip to the vets but he was none the worse for it. Didn't need any treatment and shat everywhere profusely for a day.
I don't think the cocoa content is very high in Baileys chocolate so that probably helped. He's an avid advent calendar hunter too, I think he sees the cardboard and foil as a challenge

BigDog (collie) has managed to steal loads. Most memorably an entire tub if celebrations (wrappers and all).

Only effects were manic hyperactivity and colourful poo.

My Greyhound stole half a big bag of Maltesers, and just before christmas he helpfully unwrapped and ate FILs box of After Eights to save FIL the task of doing it luckily he was fine both times, he appears to have a cast iron stomach

My dozy dog will eat just about anything and does, on occasion steal chocolate... She's never had any ill effects up to now I think the cocoa content would have to be quite high for it to cause issues...

I think little theobromine or whatever it is in maltesers or after eights. Plenty in high coco solids bars...I would have gone to the vet. Mine ate a tub of coco powder once...that was expensive.

It was typically high quality dark chocolate, I even slept in the lounge with him and checked him every time stirred and let him out etc and a couple of times he even got up to try and steal the cats food!! So far he's been normal!

My dog ate two advent calendars & a third of a bar of whole nut!

No affects.

But he does seem to actively seek it out.

You can't leave any anywhere-other than in a cupboard!

When I was a kid our family dog used to get a finger of fudge for standing nicely outside the shop So daily basically!

It is wierd this. I seem to remember dogs eating chocolate all the time when I was a child. Certainly my childhood dog did.

Is it dogs or chocolate that's different?

Christmas before last, LittleStubbornDog broke into the children's Christmas stockings and ate quite a few gold coins. She left me several small vomits all over their beds later on and poo with shiny bits, but was otherwise ok.
Poor quality chocolate with less cocoa solids is less dangerous AFAIK.
They were left high up this year.

Yes as a child our dog always had chocolate. I was rather to get to adulthood and find that they really shouldn't!

Our 5 month old lab stole one minstrel on Saturday night. She woke us at 2:30am Sunday morning whining, I came down to find she'd had diarrhea in her crate. I had to hold my dressing gown over my nose
She weighs 17kgs so I was really surprised it had such an effect on her.

well so far no effects except some really revolting smells as he lays asleep at my feet!! Fingers crossed!

Blimey Biscuits-there's something that I never thought I'd write

I thought that labs were supposed to have cast iron stomachs!

I remember our dog having "doggy chocs"-but we never gave our chocolate-not willingly, anyway

I think I read something once that advises against giving them doggy chocolates because they get a taste for it and it makes them more inclined to steal it.

Our current dog has never had doggy chocs-never seen any here tbh-but he stil has a real penchant for chocolate.

Not that I blame him...

diddl
I also thought she would have had a cast iron stomach with the stuff she picks up on walks, a cigarette butt was this mornings treat of choice!

My dog ate a 100g bar of dark toblerone two days before Christmas. The vet told us he'd had 6 times the toxic dose, and he had to have an emetic and a charcoal clean out. He was a very poorly dog, and it cost close to £700 for his emergency treatment. I now won't allow dark chocolate in the house.

Mine had a stomach pump, charcoal and IV fluids after a box of Terry's All Gold. The vet said she was lucky because it nearly killed her! She said that so many dogs are killed, especially by dark/ plain chocolate. I couldn't have risked it!

My mum's dogs (small poodle crosses) stole an entire block of dark chocolate. No worries.

That is a huge amount of theobromine, please take him to the vet.

depends on the definition of "got away".....my little pooch once got upstairs while we were out, both kids had a bag of mishapes that a friend had given them (their dad worked in a choc factory) the bags were about 1lb each.

she at the lot. foil included.

frantic call to vets....

i was up all night with her while she puked. and puked. and puked. and puked....(you get the picture) every time i laid on sofa she was off again...

and i swear she aimed for the rug each time. cos she was bringing it all back vet said just keep an eye on her....

yip both of mine have had illicit chocolate and survived but its really luck if they do to be honest!

my male dog also ate an entire large block of cheddar a few weeks ago - i dropped it on the floor and he pounced and ran under the bed with it!

i'd have lost my hand getting it off him so had to let him eat it. he wasnt a well boy....

The cocoa solids is a lot higher in chocolate than it was 30 years ago around 36% then 70% now in dark chocolate. So that is what has changed.
We don't know which dogs will be affected before they are effected and for some dogs it can be a fatal anaphylaxis so it is always advisable to check with a vet.