Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which dogs and cats cannot metabolize as well as humans. And the amount of these two chemicals varies among chocolates. The darker and more bitter the chocolate is, the more dangerous it is to your dog or cat. Chocolate ingestion is rarely lethal but can pose substantial illness.
Cats do not usually choose to eat chocolate, but it doesn't take much to be toxic. A 10 lb cat needs only to eat 1/2 ounce baking chocolate.
But as we all know, dogs will eat just about anything! So if your child left the Halloween candy out, your dog will probably help themselves, wrappers and all. However, most candy with chocolate contains low levels of Theobromine; such as 3 Muskateers bars, M&M's , Reese's Pieces.
When you have found that your pet has eaten chocolate call the clinic right away. Be ready to tell us the current weight of your pet and the type and amount of chocolate that was consumed. If you know when the chocolate was eaten and if it was recent we can direct you on the amount of hydrogen peroxide to give your pet to cause vomiting. We can help decide if your pet needs to come to the clinic for treatment or careful observation for symptoms at home.