Food
Chocolate
Contact a vet immediately, even before signs appear. Dark and baking chocolate are the most dangerous.
SevereDogsCatsFerretsRabbitsBirds
AI-generated editorial illustration of the subject; not a photograph of a specific animal, product or case.
What to do right now
- 1.Note the type of chocolate, the estimated amount and the time it was eaten
- 2.Keep the packaging to show the vet
- 3.Phone your veterinary practice or a poison line straight away
- 4.Do not attempt to make the animal vomit unless a vet instructs you to
Symptoms
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Restlessness and pacing
- Rapid heart rate
- Muscle tremors
- Seizures
Details
- Category
- Food
- Toxicity
- Severe
- Species affected
- Dogs, Cats, Ferrets, Rabbits, Birds
- Routes of exposure
- Eaten, including wrappers and baking ingredients
- Urgency
- Contact a vet immediately, even before signs appear. Dark and baking chocolate are the most dangerous.
Veterinary notes and prevention
Theobromine and caffeine are the toxic components. Treatment may include decontamination, activated charcoal, intravenous fluids and cardiac monitoring.
Prepare the information your vet needs
- For Chocolate, report the exposure route: Eaten, including wrappers and baking ingredients. Tell the clinic the time, possible amount and your pet's species and approximate weight.
- Photograph the packaging, ingredient list or plant if safe. Do not handle contaminated material without protection or delay the call to identify it perfectly.
- Keep other animals away from the source. An animal may appear normal before signs develop; do not wait for symptoms or calculate a home 'safe dose'.
- Follow the clinic's transport instructions. Do not give food, medicines or home remedies unless instructed, and take packaging with you if available.
Educational reference, not an individual diagnosis or a verified professional review. Read our editorial policy.
Guidance libraries and further reading
These organisations publish relevant guidance. Their links are further reading, not evidence that they have reviewed this page.