[Neyer]

My Shih Tzu just ate two candy bars, wrappers and all. They're not foil wrappers and they were mini candy bars (approx. 0.67 oz apiece, the amount of chocolate in the bars was well below any dangerous limit). Should I expect the wrappers to make an appearance in her stool or should I induce vomiting somehow. I don't want to use H2O2 or syrup of ipecac as I'm not convinced they won't hurt or kill her.

The vet is closed today and he's the only vet I thusfar trust with my pets, so I don't particularly want to take her to someone else.

Has anyone else had this kind of thing happen to their dog? Specifically a small dog? And what happened?

Seeing as I was terrified of using H2O2 or ipecac, I tried another method: salt. Since she's small I only used about a quarter to a half a teaspoon and three minutes later she barfed up what looks to be candy wrappers and her dinner from earlier. I let her drink water afterwards, but I'm still a bit worried because I can't tell if it's all the candy wrappers or just parts. She has a bad habit of gnawing, so I'm sure the candy wrappers were chewed up pretty good before they went down.

If it turns out not to be all the candy wrappers does anyone know if I should induce vomiting with more salt or if I should just leave it alone?

[cigwyllt]

First of all, don't worry about the wrappers. They will pass out eventually. The candy could be another matter. When you say "candy" what do you mean? Is it chocolate? This article explains why it is a problem:

Is chocolate poisonous to dogs?

So if the candy was high quality cocoa solids it would have been best to get him to any vet as an emergency but if he is ok by the time you read this then it is unlikely that it has done any harm.

[Lunareclipse]

If they were snicker's bars, your dog might be ok. If they were Godiva chocolates or something like that it could be bad. In either case, call your vet. You don't want to procrastinate on something like that.

[CorkyMax]

I wish I'd of seen this post a lot sooner. I hope you did not give any more salt---That is dangerous in those amounts --esp. for a small dog!!!! May be more dangerous then the chocolate or the wrappers!!

Here are a couple quotes from another thread in here: CHOCOLATE AND HIGH COCOA CONTENT IS THE MOST TOXIC; THE TOXIC DOSE IS 2 BAKING SQUARES FOR A 10# DOG. Regular choc. (NOT DK. CHOC!) bars have little real chocolate and are seldom toxic. (I hate to copy that part about reg choc--I still think it is not good for dogs--enough of it would be not good!--and you notice the word SELDOM is used in that statement too!!)

Chocolate toxicity

Chocolate contains a xanthine compound, theobromine, that is toxic in sufficient quantities. Examples of other xanthine compounds are caffeine and theophylline. The toxicity from all of these compounds is similar.

It takes a fairly large amount of chocolate to cause problems. In "The Handbook of Small Animal Practice" by Dr. Rhea Morgan, the following data is given:

The toxic dose of theobromine is about 100 to 150mg/kg

Milk chocolate contains 6mg of theobromine per ounce. Semi-sweet chocolate contains about 22mg/oz. and baking chocolate about 35 to 45mg/oz.

From this it is pretty easy to see that milk chocolate poses only a minor threat while the other forms of chocolate can be a bigger problem.

Xanthines affect primarily the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. There is a diuretic effect as well. So the sign seen with toxicity include hyperexitablility, hyper irritability, increased heart rate, restlessness, increased urination, vomiting and muscular tremors or tenseness. Under some circumstances these signs can lead to secondary problems like hyperthermia. In severe cases, seizures or cardiac arrest can occur. Death can result from severe intoxication.

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. Inducing vomiting can help if the ingestion is known and has occurred within one to two hours. Administration of activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin from the digestive tract. It may be necessary to use medications to control the effects of the poisoning, especially seizure control medications, oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, and medications to control the effects on the heart.

With ingestion of milk chocolate, diarrhea is a common secondary problem. This may require therapy and often occurs 12 to 24 hours after eating the chocolate.

If you suspect chocolate poisoning and your dog or cat is showing clinical signs of the problem, it is important to contact your vet.

Michael Richards, DVM



Chocolate Toxicity

Q: Dr. Mike, My friend has three Shih Tzus (one adult male, one adult female, and a 3 month old male) and they just managed to gobble up one and a half chocolate bars while we weren't watching. My friend is pretty worried and claims that chocolate will kill them. I've never heard this before. Assuming they live, can you tell me how serious this could be if they do it again, and what actions can we take to help them? Mike

A: Mike- I'm sure the dogs are fine by now. Milk chocolate rarely contains enough chocolate to pose a serious threat to dogs from chocolate toxicity. A lot of dogs get pretty good cases of diarrhea after eating chocolate treats in large quantities, though. Baker's chocolate is concentrated enough to pose a threat to dogs and they can die from chocolate toxicity. So your friend is right about the possibility of chocolate toxicity but it is just not likely with milk chocolate ingestion, except in very large quantities.

Here is the link for this thread of 5 pages that lists no nos (hazardous to dogs): Foods that are hazardous to a dog There are bound to be many things here that you do not have any idea of them being dangerous--A good read!!

About salt: Salt

It's not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination and lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death.

Hope things have improved by now. Keep us posted so we don't worry about the little girl!

[Lunareclipse]

About salt: Salt

It's not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination and lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death.

A dog would have to eat a lot of salt for ^^ to happen. The same thing can happen to humans too, but hardly ever does because we just don't consume salt straight from the container. I share my chips with my dogs and they are ok. Salt is about as healthy for dogs as it is for humans. And occasional salty snack, like chips, is ok every now and then.

[CorkyMax]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]Sorry, Luna but your reply:A dog would have to eat a lot of salt for ^^ to happen. The same thing can happen to humans too, but hardly ever does because we just don't consume salt straight from the container. I share my chips with my dogs and they are ok. Salt is about as healthy for dogs as it is for humans. And occasional salty snack, like chips, is ok every now and then. -- bothers me a lot!

A human only needs about 200 mg. of salt a day! (1 teaspoon=200 mg!) On average a dog usually equals about 1/5th of what a human should have--talking vitamins, supplements, etc. (About 1/5 of a teaspoon!!) The dog needs no extra salt at all as it is getting plenty from the dog food whether commercial, home cooked or raw!! There is natural salt even in raw foods! Dog treats have plenty of salt too. And you bet--potato (or any other) chips are full of salt--esp. if you consider 1 chip to a dog is like 5 chips to a human!

This little Shih Tzu only weighs about 9-16 lbs!! Your big dogs weigh in the range of 10 or more times as much as it!!

Dogs do not sweat either-which is a one way that humans get rid of salt!

The majority of humans are getting much more salt then they should---If you read your food labels you will discover how much salt is really in what you are consuming! Any processed food you buy is full of salt--esp. soups (Take a look at a can of Chunky soup), TV dinners--all frozen 'convenience' foods. Even canned veggies are loaded with salt. And most snacks--chips. You might be surprised at how much salt you are really consuming--Check your labels for the food you eat each day for a week! Yes some people can handle more than others--but everyone would be better off if they only consumed the smaller amount---esp. in the long run as you get older. And I confess I am way over on the amount I should have!/COLOR]

Back to about salt and dogs:
Too much salt can cause kidney problems. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may then drink too much water and develop bloat, which is fatal unless emergency treatment is given very quickly.

And to repeat what I put in my 1st post above: It's not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination and lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death.

Quote of original poster: Seeing as I was terrified of using H2O2 or ipecac, I tried another method: salt. Since she's small I only used about a quarter to a half a teaspoon and three minutes later she barfed up what looks to be candy wrappers and her dinner from earlier. I let her drink water afterwards, but I'm still a bit worried because I can't tell if it's all the candy wrappers or just parts. She has a bad habit of gnawing, so I'm sure the candy wrappers were chewed up pretty good before they went down.

If it turns out not to be all the candy wrappers does anyone know if I should induce vomiting with more salt or if I should just leave it alone?
That is a lot of salt for this little girl--1/4-1/2 a teaspoon!! (A human should only have a teaspoon a day)And wanted to maybe do it again!!! I don't think so!

[Lunareclipse]

sorry, I didn't realize he was that small. I guess I have large dog syndrome. When you have large doggies you tend to think in their size. I sorry.