My dog ate chocolate...

Question
What does chocolate do to dogs? I've always heard that chocolate isn't good for them, but nobody has ever told me why, or what to do if a dog accidentally injests it. Any insights in this topic?

Answer
Hi John!  Chocolate is in fact toxic to dogs.  The reason being is that chocolate contains Theobromine (a compound similar to caffeine), which causes irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest if enough is ingested. No dog should ever be given chocolate.  White chocolate contains the least Theombromine and Dark chocolate/Baker's chocolate contains an astounding amount.
If a dog ingests chocolate, immediate induction of vomiting is the best.  To do this, put a little vanilla ice cream in a bowl for your dog (for taste!) and mix with hydrogen peroxide (amount depends on the weight of the dog) and a teaspoon of salt.  This will induce vomiting. If a dog has consumed the chocolate while you were not home and it has been in his/her system for 1 hour or more, an immediate vet visit is in order.  Your veterinarian will give your dog activated charcoal which will absorb the toxicity.
I hope this has been helpful,
Hilary