white chocolate for dogs

Question
Yes sorry I ment white chocolate...

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
i read one of your answers a while ago about dogs eating chocolate. You said that white chocolate is perfectly safe because it isn't chocolate. I have read in multiple sources that milk chocolate contains 1 mg of theobine... the stuff that harms them
-----Answer-----
I did not say MILK chocolate is safe.
White chocolate is also made with cocoa butter, but a much smaller amount than nilk chocolate.
Most of the white chocolate we have in this country does not contain cocoa butter, but is made with vegetable shortening.
European white chocolate does contain cocoa butter, but dark chocolate is what is most dangerous.
Cocoa butter has only a mild chocolate flavor and aroma, and is the only cocoa ingredient used in white chocolate.
Cocoa butter is only one of the ingredients used in making REAL chocolate.

Chocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods that originate from the bean of the tropical cacao tree.
The chemical that does the dmage is Theobromine.
NOT theobine.
Here is the information of what theobomine does to animals.
Toxicity in animals
Main article: theobromine poisoning
In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to animals such as horses, dogs, parrots, small rodents, and cats (kittens especially) because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion, or contacting a veterinarian.
A typical 20-kilogram dog will normally experience great intestinal distress after eating fewer than 240 grams (8.47 oz) of dark chocolate, but will not necessarily experience bradycardia or tachycardia unless it eats at least a half a kilogram (1.1 lbs) of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has 2 to 5 times more theobromine and thus is more dangerous to dogs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, approximately 1.3 grams of baker's chocolate per kilogram of a dog's body weight (0.02 oz/lb) is sufficient to cause symptoms of toxicity. For example, a typical 25-gram (0.88 oz) baker's chocolate bar would be enough to bring about symptoms in a 20-kilogram (44 lb) dog. Of course, baking chocolate is rarely consumed directly due to its unpleasant taste, but other dark chocolates' canine toxicities may be extrapolated based on this figure. Large dogs such as St. Bernards or Rottweilers are somewhat less susceptible to poisoning, but as dogs like the taste of chocolate products as much as humans do, they should still be kept out of their reach; treats made from carob are a good substitute and pose no threat. There are reports that mulch made from cacao bean shells is dangerous to pets (and other animals) [21][22][23]

The amount, if any, of Theobomine in white chocolate would be minimal, and should if given a tiny bit ( less than 1 ounce) should pose little or no threat.
There is NO Theobomine in carob, so chocolate flavored, made with carob poses no threat at all.
White chocolate made with vegetable oil rather than cocoa butter would pose no threat at all.
Charlotte  

Answer
Hi again Ben.
I had ben told white chocolate was just sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and powdered sugar, and vegetable oil.
I learned while researching it last night, that some of it is made with cocoa butter.
I had always fed my dogs chocolate, until about 15 years ago, but I had never given them more than 3 or 4 little squares of a Hershey bar.
I had never heard that is was toxic, until then.
Since then, one of my dogs has snitched a chocolate once or twice, and there were no bad results.
The way I found out it was toxic at all, was one Christmas.
My little 3 year old grand daughter loved my Irish Setter to death, and I had made some triple threat chocolate cookies.
they were chocolate with chocolate chips in them, and fudge frosting.
Diane was apparently eating one, and Bonny begged and she gave it to her, and then proceded to sit on the cabinet and empty the cookie jar into the willing dog.
That took her about 5 or 6 minutes before we found them, and Bonny had ingested about 4 dozen of the little bombs.
She first couldn't stand up, then she vonited.
She had a toxic odor on her breath so w rushed her to the all night emergency Vet Clinic.
They pumped her stomach, and got it all out of her.
I almost lost her, and since then, have been almost paranoid about them even having a single bite of chocolate.
I but doggy cookies for them that are oatmeal with carob chips, and sometimes make cookies for them with carob chips.
Actually, if they had a square or two of milk chocolate, like a hershey bar, and they were pretty good sized., maybe a half a square for a Chihuahua.LOL, it shouldn't do any damage, but it is much better to just give them carob.
It tastes just like chocolate, and there is no room for worry.
I will really watch white chocolate now, since I learned some of it has cocoa butter, but I really do't think it would be of great concern, if given only a tad.
I got an email today from a friend, it was forwarded from a Veterinarian who had seen a patient that had been poisoned by raisins.
My precious German shepherd I had many years ago loved grapes.
I fed them to her. They are fruit, Right/
Well, lately there has come forth evidence that grapes, and raisins can poison a dog.
I am going to paste the email from this Veterinarian on here for you.
It is long, but I am sure you will like to pass it around and inform your friends who have animals. My friend that sent it to me is the adoption coordinator for the Yakima Pet rescue group.

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This is for true animal lovers please beware!


NOT A JOKE.... REPEAT..... NOT A JOKE..  LISTED SITES FOR YOU TO CHECK IT OUT....

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_toxic_raisins.htm

http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/pet_health/raisinsandgrapes.cfm

http://www.savegsd.org/grapes.htm

Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do.
This is worth passing on to them.


(Below written by a vet)

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at
MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix who ate
half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on
Tuesday.He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on
Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure
but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog
in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the
doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but....Anyway, we
contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to
give IV fluids at 1 ,½ times maintenance and watch the kidney values for
thenext 48-72 hours.

The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less
than 27) and creatinine over 5 ( 1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are
monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter
and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was
over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids.
At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to
MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as
overnightcare.

He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have
continued to incr ease daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a
diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still
couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his
BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10,his phosphorus was very
elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150,
skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to
euthanize.

This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins
could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very
serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be
tox ic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats
including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate
concern.

Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville Ohio
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They say God takes care of fools and babies. That is the only reason I can think of that I didn't lose my German Shepherd.
None of my dogs since then have liked grapes that much.
We used to have a little mixed breed girl that loved blueberries.
She liked other fruit, but she would be your best friend for a blueberry.
My English setter, Silky loved peaches, and when they started to ripen on our tree, she would pick herself one and eat it.
She ate almost more tomatoes than the birds stole, and she would pick my bell peppers and eat them.
Between Silky and the birds, we didn't get much of our vegetable or peach crop.
This makes me feel I need to research more about which fruits and which veggies and nuts can be dangerous for my little 4 footed babies.
Nice hearing from you again.
Charlotte