CHOCOLATE IS A POISON FOR DOGS
Since dogs are sensitive to cocoa products, they can often be poisoned or even die. Animals such as cats and dogs that we pet are frequently exposed to cocoa products such as chocolate and sugar, cake, cookies, chocolate, chips, cocoa powder, cocoa beans. However, as dogs are highly sensitive to such cocoa products, they can often be poisoned, and sometimes even fatal consequences. The reason for this situation is the theobromine substance in the chocolate. Theobromine, which has a chemical structure similar to caffeine and has a stimulating property, is found in tea leaves as well as cocoa beans.
The amount of theobromine that is lethal to dogs is 300 milligrams / kilogram. This value, which shows the degree of toxicity of a substance, is the amount of substance that causes the death of half of the living things that the chemical penetrates and is expressed depending on the mass of the living thing. In other words, the lethal dose of theobromine for a dog with a mass of 3 kg is 900 milligrams, while for a dog with a mass of 10 kg this value is 3000 milligrams. Theobromine causes dilation of blood vessels, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate and rhythm disturbance in dogs. In addition, symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and muscle spasm occur. The amount of theobromine in different types of chocolate is different. Black chocolate is more dangerous for dogs because of its high content of cocoa. For example, the amount of theobromine in dark chocolate used in cake making is approximately 7 times higher than in milk chocolate.
In fact, chocolate is also toxic to cats, but the lethal dose in cats is lower than in dogs. So less theobromine can be fatal for a cat compared to a dog of the same weight. However, since cats do not have taste sensors that detect sweet taste, their desire to eat chocolate is not very strong.
Editor: Melisa Atak
