Because they metabolize it slowly, it builds up in their system and stays there, causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Increased exposure can cause heart arrhythmia, seizures, hemorrhaging, cardiac arrest, and eventually death.
Let me stress this: if your dog eats a piece of chocolate, it's not like he'll drop dead on the spot. It occurs slowly over time. DON'T GIVE YOUR DOG CHOCOLATE, THOUGH! Lowest published toxic dose for a canine is 16mg/kg, but the LD50 is 300mg/kg. It takes a LONG time for them to metabolize theobromine, though...so there's no way to know how much is in the dog's system at any one time. Play it safe. |
