This dog blog will answer the major question, “What can I do if my dog ate chocolate chip cookies?” we will also discuss the reason why chocolate is toxic for your dog, whether one chocolate chip cookie can cause poisoning in your dog, and what you can do to prevent your dog from eating chocolate chip cookies.
What can I do if my dog ate chocolate chip cookies?
You should call your vet if your dog has eaten chocolate chip cookies. You should isolate your dog and observe it for 24 hours to see if any clinical signs appear. If some signs appear quickly, take your dog to the vet as it can kill your dog. The chocolate poisoning is dose dependent so if your dog has eaten one chocolate chip cookie, it will probably be fine.
Why are chocolate chip cookies toxic for your dog?
The chocolate is itself toxic for your dog because it has compounds called methylxanthines which are caffeine and theobromine. The most common one is theobromine which can cause toxicity in your dog by affecting the liver of the body. Theobromine can build up in the body and the liver feels difficulty in excreting these toxic metabolites from the body.
The first organ that it affects is the liver. The liver is the principal organ in the body which is responsible for processing harmful substances in the body. The liver is also responsible for the production of clotting factors and several proteins in the body. If the liver is affected then all of these functions are compromised.
Following are the clinical signs of liver damage in your dog:
- Edema of the body tissues.
- Jaundice
- Anemia
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Swollen liver
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
If you see these signs in your dog, quickly take your dog to the vet. Liver tonics should be given under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
The next organ is the kidneys of the body. Kidneys are the principal organs involved in the ionic balance in the body. They are also involved in the electrolyte balance in the body.
If there are toxic metabolites in the blood, then they can also affect the kidneys of the body. Kidneys are damaged and the urine output is compromised. In severe cases, there is kidney pain and your dog is not able to eat anything. There is also diminished urine output.
The treatment of kidney damage is shifting the body on dialysis which is laborious, painful, and expensive. The permanent solution is a kidney transplant.
Can consuming one chocolate cause poisoning in the body of your dog?
No, consuming one chocolate chip cookie cannot cause poisoning in your dog. One teaspoon of chocolate cannot affect the body of your dog but increasing it will affect the body of your dog.
As the dose of chocolate is increased, it will slowly build up in the body leading to toxicity in the body. Moreover, the type of chocolate also affects the dose of toxicity. If you are giving dark chocolate to your dog, it will affect more at the same dose rate as compared to white chocolate. You just need to make sure your dog doesn’t hold onto chocolate in your house.
As far as cookies are concerned, cookies have other ingredients like sugar and wheat so make sure your dog doesn’t eat much of them because sugar is also not good for your dog.
How can you prevent your dog from eating chocolate chip cookies in your house?
Following are the steps you should follow if you want to keep your dog safe from chocolate poisoning:
- The first thing is to lock up all the chocolate in the cupboard of your kitchen.
- The next thing is to keep your dog out of the kitchen or not allow your dog to enter the room where you have kept your chocolates.
- The next thing you must do is offer other healthy dog treats to your dog so that your dog is not attracted to chocolate chip cookies in your house.
- The next thing is to call your vet if you ever noticed your dog presenting some clinical signs of toxicity.
- The next thing is to dump all the wrappers of the chocolate chip cookies if you have bought some for your children.
- The next thing is not to allow anyone in the house to give chocolate chip cookies to your dog.
Conclusion
In this dog blog, we entertained our important question, “What can I do if my dog ate chocolate chip cookies?” we also discussed the reason why chocolate is toxic for your dog, whether one chocolate chip cookie can affect your dog, and what you can do to prevent your dog from eating chocolate chip cookies.
