Just because he's a chocolate Labrador retriever doesn't mean it's ok to feed your dog chocolate as a treat. Don't! It can be lethal.
Just the other day I heard a friend say that his dog loves chocolate so much, he's been using it as treats when he is training him. While I commend him for training his dog, I urged him to use something other than chocolate, as it can be toxic and even lethal.
“But he loves it!” was the answer I got. So I thought I'd better share what I know with dog owners everywhere. For the love of your dog, please don't feed him chocolate, ever.
Chocolate contains a toxic substance called theobromine, that dogs are unable to process within their bodies. Theobromine can cause convulsions, vomiting, and diarrhea, and one symptom is your dog drinking copious amounts of water.
In sufficient quantity, chocolate can kill your dog. “Sufficient quantity” depends on 3 things: the kind of chocolate eaten, the amount of chocolate, and the size of the dog.
Powdered cocoa and dark chocolate have more theobromine than milk chocolate. The toxic dose is between 100-250 mg. (.004-.009 oz.) of theobromine per kilo (2.2 pounds) of the dog's weight. This translates to 200g (about 7 oz.) of dark chocolate could kill a Labrador retriever weighing 25kg (55lbs).
Rather than play around with measuring, why not play it safe and find another, safer treat?
Take your dog to the vet immediately if he has eaten chocolate and is showing any of the above signs. You can also ask your vet about special doggy chocolates that are harmless if you just can't say "no".
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Just the other day I heard a friend say that his dog loves chocolate so much, he's been using it as treats when he is training him. While I commend him for training his dog, I urged him to use something other than chocolate, as it can be toxic and even lethal.
