by Shelley Swenson | Jan 15, 2016
Valentine’s Day and chocolate just go together! Can you really have one without the other? I crave chocolate all year round and with some of the recent research I have read, I can feel all right about giving in.
A recent study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested the effects of dark and white chocolate on healthy adults to determine whether either type played a role in blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. They concluded that dark chocolate can indeed help reduce blood pressure and insulin resistance. White chocolate did not provide these health benefits.
Keep in mind that although dark chocolate has health benefits, most chocolate bars are high in saturated fat, so moderation is key. Eating dark chocolate cannot substitute for everyday healthy food choices. Nor can chocolate replace regular exercise or medications that have been prescribed by your physician. It is so nice to know you can indulge in your Valentine’s Day chocolate, in moderation, without feeling guilty about it if you choose the dark.
by Bill Mahan | Dec 4, 2012
A
s a dog owner, I’ve always been told to not let your dog have chocolate because it is poisonous for them to eat. Well, a question that I’ve had for years is “How much chocolate can a dog eat before it has a health problem?”
My curiosity finally got the best of me (I must be a cat) and I decided to do some research on the topic of dogs and chocolate. I have to be honest: I was a bit surprised by the information I found.
The following information is from the November 2012 “Your Dog” newsletter written by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
As it turns out, it is not the chocolate that is the potential problem; it is a caffeine-like chemical found in chocolate called theobromine that is the troublemaker. Theobromine can cause symptoms in a dog that are similar to those we can experience during a major caffeine overdose. Symptoms include: agitation, hyper-excitation, and possible seizures.
However, as you can read in the table below, the size of your dog and the type of chocolate they get into are major factors in determining the impact of that “stolen” chocolate snack on your pet! For example, if you have a 30-pound dog and they “steal” an 8-ounce milk chocolate candy bar, they should be okay unless they are diabetic or have other health issues.
How Much Chocolate is Toxic?
| Dogs Weight |
Toxic Amount of Milk Chocolate |
Toxic Amount of Dark Chocolate |
|
5 pounds
|
4 ounces
|
0.5 ounce
|
|
10 pounds
|
8 ounces
|
1.0 ounce
|
|
20 pounds
|
1.0 pound
|
2.5 ounces
|
|
30 pounds
|
2.0 pounds
|
3.25 ounces
|
|
40 pounds
|
2.5 pounds
|
4.5 ounces
|
|
50 pounds
|
3.0 pounds
|
5.5 ounces
|
|
60 pounds
|
4.0 pounds
|
7.0 ounces
|
|
70 pounds
|
5.0 pounds
|
8.5 ounces
|
|
80 pounds
|
6.0 pounds
|
10.0 ounces
|
|
100 pounds
|
8.0 pounds
|
13.0 ounces
|
|
120 pounds
|
10.0 pounds
|
1 pound
|
On the other hand, if you have a small dog, that 8-ounce chocolate candy bar that went missing can be a real problem! In my case, my dog, Sienna, weighs 12 pounds and my daughter loves dark chocolate so I know there is going to be dark chocolate around the house. A few dark chocolate Kisses lying around where Sienna can get them could turn into a major problem!
So, be very careful if you have chocolate treats, especially dark chocolate, around the house and you have dogs “running” around!
Other potential problem foods for your dog include onions and garlic. Both of these foods can cause hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells) in your dog. As with chocolate, while it is better to keep these items out of your dog’s reach, your canine friend would need to eat a “large” amount of onion or garlic to become sick.
However, what you do need to be extremely careful about is making sure your dog never gets into any grapes or raisins, both of which are associated with kidney failure in dogs! Even just a few may be enough to make your dog ill.
As always, if you have any questions about your pets, contact your local veterinarian for answers.
References:
‘Your Dog – The Newsletter for caring dog owners.’ Written by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University; November 2012, Vol. XVIII, Number 11.
