FOOD REACTION

Question
My Yorkie got into some hershey kisses.  What will be her reaction? what
should I watch for.  It was about 4 hours ago.  She just threw up some
phlem stuff.  

Answer
Hi Dixie,

You didn't say what kind of chocolate kisses your dog ate.

Chocolate contains theobromine (a compound similar to caffeine) which is toxic to dogs. Baking chocolate contains more theobromine per ounce than semisweet chocolate, which, in turn, contains more theobromine than milk chocolate. While most lethal cases of chocolate poisoning occur when small dogs eat large quantities of baking chocolate, no variety of chocolate is good for a dog.

Body size is also a big factor in a toxic reaction, as a Yorkie, your dog will probably have some kind of adverse reaction, since she is so small. For that reason I would advise that you call your veterinarian immediately.

When ingested by dogs, chocolate causes release of epinephrine (adrenaline) which causes the heart to race and serious cardiac arrhythmias to develop. Be sure to tell your vet what type of chocolate your dog ate, how much you think she ate, how long ago she indulged herself, and how much your dog weighs.

Signs of toxicity to watch for are:

anxiety, pacing, hyperexcitability,restlessness, excessive thirst and urination, vomiting, or seizures

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

Best of luck,

Patti