We’ve all heard all the advices to eat more dark chocolate, it is appearently very healthy for us. Me too have been listening to those advices and I have tried to eat some dark chocolate / day.
You have to watch out though - there is almost aways very high amount of calories hidden in there - not to mention the pimples I get from it 
Sometimes nature brings very bad things for some….
Did you know that chocolate is poisoning for dogs?
Even for cats actually but they are not likely to eat enough to become poisoned. Many other animals are sensitive to it too, but not as much as dogs and cats.
It’s the substance theobromine they can’t handle. The darker the chocolate is the more Theobromine it contains.
More than 20 milligram theobromine / kilogram body weight can cause poisining of the dog.
Example: A dog who’s weight is 10 kilogram (22 lbs) can be poisoned of 20-40 gram dark chocolate without getting serious poisioning sympthoms. Not much huh?
Symptoms: appears after 4-24 hours. Vomiting, abdominal pains, thirst, inkontinens, shakings och restless symptoms, rich saliva and heart-throbs is common. At bigger amounts more serious symptoms appears.
To calculate how much theobromine that’s in different chocolate bars or pralines is difficult. Both the amount of cocoa in the chocolate and the amount of theobromine in the cocoa bean may vary.
Dark chocolate: about 5-15 mg theobromine /g chocolate.
Light chocolate: about 2 mg theobromine /g chocolate.
White chocolate: none or very little theobromine.
The darker chocolate, the more theobromine and more dangerous for the dog/cat. With lighter chocolate the amount may be about 100 g before any symptoms.
If you suspect your pet to have eaten a dangerous amount of chocolate or has already symptoms - contact the Vet at once!
So what have we learned here?
If you’re giving your pet chocolate, at least give it white chocolate or filled chocolate pieces that contains less chocolate/theobromine 
… and the chocolate beans actually looks like dog shit - sorry I couldn’t resist saying that! *giggles*
Captain Bark Lifecruiser
Bonus port: Saturday - Trondheim, Norway.
Renny and Tor was guiding us
Next port: Antwerpen, Belgium, Wednesday (Gattina).
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[tags]dark chocolate, chocolate, chocolate poisoning, dog poisoning, poisoning symptoms, theobromine[/tags]
Ahoy Dr. Lifecruiser ! You don’t have to force me to eat dark chocolate, that’s the only one I like and if there are nuts in it’s even better. Otherwise I am not so “sweet” . My cat family prefers raw meat to chocolate, so there is no danger here. But it’s always good to know.
I see the blue sky as background today and it’s the same as we have here above our heads and 29° on top ! I wonder what it will be in July ? 13° ? like it should be in April ?
Since I have no dog I can keep the chocolate to myself then LoL
Btw: Thanks again for taking my post about Trondheim, Norway into your cruise calendar. It’s an honor and I have updated the post now!
and yet it may be safer than dog food…
smiles, bee
Really I didn’t know chocolate could be so dangerous for our pets!
But for us it’s very healthy! I know it so well that’s why I have to lose some weight!
I’ve a surprise for you my Cap’tain! Tomorrow I invite you and all the cruisers and others somewhere…. Renny has find my secret! I don’t know how he did?!………
How fun! I’m looking forward too see it!
I have a little surprise for you too tomorrow
only my Annie likes chocolate and I only allow her nibbles once in awhile. She really likes my fudge pops and will eat one if I let her!
I really don’t like dark chocolate unless it is melted in a mug!
I posted a picture last night of my cats that Leanne painted for me. If you get a chance check it out!
Nice to see your version of chocolate! It reminds me of the Monkey Magic egg, which my brother & I always thought looked like an easter-egg-poo not too disimilar to your photo!
I ate a lot of unprocessed cacao powered dark chocolate and I don’t really believe it made that big of a difference. I didn’t get sick for a while (as in a cold) then I did. I guess it helps, but I don’t know how big of a miracle drug it is.
Thanks for posting about teh dangers of chocolate for dogs. It’s amazing how many people still aren’t aware.
And yeah….that photo is not appetizing.