My dog ate chocolate — what to do now
A practical, urgent guide. Read the first 60 seconds carefully — they matter most.
Call right now if:
- Dog under 20 lbs ate any dark chocolate or baking chocolate
- Any dog ate more than 1 oz of dark chocolate per 10 lbs of body weight
- Already showing symptoms: vomiting, restlessness, racing heart
ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661
Step 1: Identify the type
Toxicity depends on theobromine concentration, which varies dramatically:
- White chocolate — virtually no theobromine. Mainly a fat/sugar concern.
- Milk chocolate — moderate. ~64 mg theobromine per oz.
- Dark chocolate — high. ~150–200 mg theobromine per oz.
- Semi-sweet/baker's chocolate — very high. ~390 mg per oz.
- Cocoa powder — extreme. ~800 mg per oz.
Step 2: Calculate the dose
Toxic threshold: roughly 20 mg theobromine per kg body weight. Severe toxicity at 40–50 mg/kg. Lethal around 100–200 mg/kg.
Quick mental math:
- 10 lb (4.5 kg) dog + 1 oz dark chocolate (200 mg) = ~44 mg/kg = severe symptoms likely
- 50 lb (23 kg) dog + 1 oz milk chocolate (64 mg) = ~3 mg/kg = likely fine, watch for signs
- 10 lb dog + 1 oz baker's chocolate (390 mg) = 87 mg/kg = EMERGENCY
Use an online chocolate toxicity calculator for an exact answer. They're free and reliable.
Step 3: Watch for symptoms
Theobromine takes 6–12 hours to show effects, peaks at 24, can persist 72 hours.
Mild symptoms (still call vet)
- Restlessness, panting
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Excessive thirst
Severe — go to ER NOW
- Tremors or seizures
- Racing/irregular heartbeat
- Collapse, weakness
- High body temperature
Step 4: Treatment (what the vet will do)
- Within 2 hours of ingestion: induced vomiting (apomorphine) is highly effective. Don't do this at home unless directly told to.
- Activated charcoal — binds remaining theobromine in the gut. Often given in repeated doses.
- IV fluids — flushes the system, supports kidneys.
- Heart medication if irregular rhythm.
- Anti-seizure meds if needed.
Most dogs caught within the first few hours recover fully. The biggest predictor of bad outcome is delay.
Step 5: Don't do these things
- Don't induce vomiting at home with hydrogen peroxide unless your vet specifically tells you to. Wrong amount = aspiration pneumonia.
- Don't feed milk — old myth, doesn't neutralize anything.
- Don't wait to see if symptoms develop — by the time they do, treatment is harder.
- Don't panic. Dogs survive chocolate ingestion all the time when caught early.
Prevention
- Chocolate stays in cabinets with latches, not on counters
- Trash cans locked — wrappers count too
- Halloween/Easter/Valentine's/Christmas — chocolate-related ER visits spike around these
- Houseguests briefed
- Cocoa mulch in gardens is also toxic — switch to pine if you have a dog
See full chocolate toxicity facts on our database →
Sources: ASPCA APCC, VCA Hospitals, Merck Vet Manual, AKC. Last reviewed January 2025.