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Can dogs eat white chocolate?

When our dogs begin to look at us with those big eyes and would make us feel that they want something, in most cases, we go out of our way and get them what they want at that moment. But if it is chocolate, can we still exert that effort in making them feel that they are loved and cared for? Will a little white chocolate hurt them? In the first place, can dogs eat white chocolate? Is it different from regular dark-colored chocolate?

Having a furry friend is a beautiful experience, the wonderful feeling that goes with having someone or something to share our happiness with is such a nice feeling that is experienced by people that have a dog for a companion. Dogs are extremely loyal and will willingly put its life when they sense you are in great danger. It is because of those kinds of gestures that we have to show the utmost care and concern for our canines.

Can dogs eat white chocolate
Can dogs eat white chocolate?

As dog owners, we understand that you take the best efforts in providing the best care for your dogs. We, dog owners, tend to purchase the best set of items for our dogs. We provide them the best things we could afford to give them the best things that would make them feel relax and comfortable with their every twist and turn. But, can dogs eat white chocolate?

How much chocolate is harmful to a dog?

We don’t need to have a lengthy discussion if chocolates are harmful to dogs or not, because it is already a known fact that chocolates would hurt your dog. It is harmful to them and must not be given to them in any quantities. No amount of “good intentions” would hide the fact that our dog’s system is not designed and fit for consuming chocolates and other products that contains it.

Restrain yourself before you do some serious damage to your dogs. When you sneak a little piece of chocolate for your dogs, it is tantamount to not loving them. It doesn’t make sense that you love your dog but you sneak in a little chocolate or two. We don’t sense any love with that, if you truly love your dog like you say you do, by all means, to the best of your abilities. REFRAIN FROM FEEDING YOUR DOG CHOCOLATE, PERIOD.

When your canine friend, consumes 40 mg of methylxanthines per kilogram of your dog’s body weight, cardiac symptoms due to the toxicity of chocolate ingestion will happen. When toxicity levels reached 60 mg/kg. your dog will experience seizures. And a little over that limit will do damage and inconvenience to your dog. Mild symptoms of chocolate poisoning can occur in 20 mg/kg, please be careful.

A regular-sized Hershey’s milk chocolate that weighs 1.55 oz will have serious health consequences on your dog. If your dog is a small breed, it would suffer significantly. If your dog is a large breed, it won’t be as fatal but still, it is not a wise decision to feed them with chocolates or any products that contain it. Plain and simple as that, if health experts say no, by all means, it means NO.

In simpler terms, that means a very concerning dose of chocolate is approximately one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight. Since an average Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar is 1.55 ounces, consuming even one chocolate bar can have serious consequences, especially for small dogs. Eating a crumb of chocolate cake or a very small piece of a chocolate bar, on the other hand, probably won’t kill your dog, especially if it is a larger breed, but chocolate should never be fed as a treat.

“But it is white chocolate, it’s just okay, right?”

Dogs can not eat white chocolate
Dogs can not eat white chocolate

Can dogs eat white chocolate? The keyword is C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E, it doesn’t matter whether it’s white, brown, black, or even red and blue. As long as it is chocolate, it will forever remain chocolate regardless of what.

  • White chocolate is considered is NOT AS toxic to dogs as dark chocolate. But it is still toxic.
  • White chocolate is high in fat and sugar and would remain an unhealthy option to be fed to your dog no matter what.
  • When your dog “accidentally” consumes white chocolate call your vet and don’t wait for any negative reactions. Just call them immediately.
  • When you can’t resist the temptation of giving a bar of white chocolate to your dog, might as well give them a slice of apple rather than white chocolate, plain and simple. No ifs, no buts.
  • And lastly, YOUR DOG SHOULD NOT EAT WHITE CHOCOLATE.

What is it in white chocolate that causes harm to a dog?

White chocolate as we have highlighted above is not as toxic as dark or milk chocolate. But it still contains Theobromine, which is the toxic component in chocolate regardless of the color. The good thing with white chocolate is the amount of Theobromine is significantly lower compared to milk and dark chocolates to cause any serious symptoms and health risks like vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and heart attacks.

But it is still not harmless, as a matter of fact, white chocolates generally have these things that would still be harmful to your dogs:

  • Contain a high-fat percentage that can cause chocolate poisoning similar to dark ones. Ingesting white chocolate can still cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs since it contains a high percentage of fat. Your dog may be at risk of suffering pancreatitis.
  • Since it is chocolate, it is high in sugar, which would lead your dog to suffer diabetes, excessive weight gain, urinary tract infections, and other serious health concerns.
  • Even if your dog is not in danger of suffering theobromine poisoning, you should still have to call your vet for “accidental” ingestion of white chocolate even if you don’t see any signs of adverse reactions. Just don’t wait for it, call your vet right away.
  • An apple is recommended if you need to give in to your dog’s desire of having to consume something sweet and nice. Better safe than sorry.

How much white chocolate does your dog can tolerate?

Chocolate should never be feed to dogs. But if there is an instance that at some point your dog “accidentally” ingested a considerable amount of white chocolate, how much is “enough”? And how much is “too much”?

  • For white chocolate, 200 ounces per pound bodyweight of a dog. White chocolate has less cocoa power. If your dog weighs 250 pounds, your dog would show visible signs of poisoning after ingesting 250 pounds of white chocolate. If you have a smaller breed that weighs around 10 pounds, it would have to ingest 125 pounds of white chocolate before it shows signs of poisoning.

Here are some of the symptoms that you need to watch out for if your dog shows signs of being poisoned with chocolate consumption. Vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, frequent and increased rate of urination, tremors, elevated heart rate, seizures, sudden collapse, and death. When you notice that your dog shows those above symptoms, get vet help immediately and don’t delay. Your dog’s existence may be hanging by a thread.

Can I induce vomiting if my dog ingested white chocolate?

To induce vomiting you can prepare a concoction of hydrogen peroxide (3%) 1 to 2 teaspoons and force it to your dog’s mouth. You can do it every 15 minutes interval until you notice that your dog starts vomiting. You may also administer Ipecac syrup about 2 to 3 teaspoons single dose. Once your dog vomited, you can give your dog a mixture of water and activated charcoal.

A teaspoon of mixture for dogs less than 25 pounds. and two teaspoons for dogs that weigh more than 25 pounds. Letting your dog ingest activated charcoal can be quite good because it prevents the poison from mixing in the bloodstream. Ideally, treatment using activated charcoal should be administered within 4-6 hours after you have noticed that your dog was poisoned after consuming a few chocolates.

Symptoms of food poisoning may continue to be visible after 36 hours, within this time it is advisable to take your dog to the vet for immediate medical intervention.  As of this time, chocolate poisoning has no antidote. Inducing your dog to vomit would still be the course of action for poisoning.

An apple is mentioned as an alternative to white chocolate, what is so special about it?

While an apple a day keeps the doctor is true to humans, there is also a shade of truth to it with dogs. Rather than feeding your dogs with bits of white chocolate, fresh slices of apples is good for your dogs. You can have it prepared bite-sized which is easy for your dog to chew and swallow. You can slowly introduce applies to your dog’s diet and eventually, when your dog develops a liking to it, you can serve larger shares.

You need to slice the apples into bits because you need to remove apple seeds, apple seeds contain traces of cyanide. Consumption of apple seeds would lead your dog to feel lethargic and experience stomach discomfort. If you suspect that your dog might be experiencing apple seed poisoning, better call your vet and get the best treatment for apple seed poisoning.

A single apple is a rich source of potassium, fiber, Vitamins A and C. It may contain sugar that is why we need to cut it into smaller bit size pieces so that we can control their intake of apples. To help curb your dog’s weight, a session of light walks and stroll should be included as part of your dog’s routine.  A quick dash coupled with long walks can be beneficial to both of you. Include exercise in your daily bonding.

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