Is chocolate toxic for cats?
sandee98
Sometimes when I'm eating chocolate pudding my cat likes to join in and
lick a small amount from the spoon. Is this safe or should I discourage
it? I'm not sure why the chocolate is lethal, if in fact it is, but I sure
won't give it to him if it is. Of course I wouldn't give him chocolate
bars and chocolate icing from a cake, but I just thought the pudding would
be harmless. Please advise. Thanks.
Sandee
You can e-mail me at sand...@dplus.net
LeeAnne
yogurt if you want to give him/her a treat.
LeeAnne
Scott & Laura
>
> I heard that giving chocolate to a cat can be lethal. Is this really true.
> Sometimes when I'm eating chocolate pudding my cat likes to join in and
> lick a small amount from the spoon. Is this safe or should I discourage
> it? I'm not sure why the chocolate is lethal, if in fact it is, but I sure
> won't give it to him if it is. Of course I wouldn't give him chocolate
> bars and chocolate icing from a cake, but I just thought the pudding would
> be harmless. Please advise. Thanks.
>
> Sandee
>
> You can e-mail me at sand...@dplus.net
I have no clue my cat Austin (who lives with my mother because I can't
have 3 cats in my apartment and he was my first before I keft home)
Loves chocolate icecream, fudge bars etc...etc...etc... we ave never
thought twice about giving it to him and he seems just fine.
Adrian Andrews
chemical theobromine which occurs naturally in the cocoa bean. This is a
similar chemical to caffeine. The darker the chocolate or cocoa powder,
the more theobromine it contains. Cats are more sensitive to theobromine
than their owners are. Chocolate treats made for animals have the
theobromine removed.
--
Adrian (Owned by Smokey, Snoopy & Rosie)
Jr ner gur pngf. Erfvfgnapr vf shgvyr.
an...@bigfoot.com
sandee98 wrote in message <01bdc795$54a50f80$45b974d1@sandee98>...
LeeAnne
your cat a heart attack. I think I read somewhere that that's what it does or
can do. I think I also heard that it may be the aspartame that is in a lot of
things that is bad. I heard it like 3 years ago when I got my cat because I know
chocolate is bad for a dog so I figured I'd better check into its effect on cats
too.
You shouldn't give your cats chocolate.
LeeAnne
Scott & Laura wrote:
> sandee98 wrote:
> >
> > I heard that giving chocolate to a cat can be lethal. Is this really true.
> > Sometimes when I'm eating chocolate pudding my cat likes to join in and
> > lick a small amount from the spoon. Is this safe or should I discourage
> > it? I'm not sure why the chocolate is lethal, if in fact it is, but I sure
> > won't give it to him if it is. Of course I wouldn't give him chocolate
> > bars and chocolate icing from a cake, but I just thought the pudding would
> > be harmless. Please advise. Thanks.
> >
> > Sandee
> >
> > You can e-mail me at sand...@dplus.net
>
Larry D. Blankenship
>I heard that giving chocolate to a cat can be lethal. Is this really true.
I have always heard that. My cats want chocolate ice cream but I don't give
it to them. I know a gal that said she gave her cat chocolate all the time.
Would like to see some proof one way or the other as well.
Nichole
LeeAnne
mentions dogs specifically I believe it applies to cats also - I'm researching
that:
CHOCOLATE (Drug class: Methylxanthines) - X
XXX - Emergency! XX - Highly Dangerous X - Dangerous
It often surprises pet owners to discover that for animals, chocolate is
poisonous in
sufficient dosages. Specifically it is the drugs in chocolate, theobromine
and caffeine (of
the drug class methylxanthines), that are toxic to pets. Only a moderate
amount needs
to be eaten by an animal, typically a dog, in order to be poisonous (approx.
1/2 oz. of
baking chocolate per pound of body weight and less in some animals). With
the poison
in this case being so appealing, overdose is not a rare occurrence.
Poisonings of this
type typically occur during the holiday seasons of Easter, Christmas and
Halloween.
Depending on their appetite and the specific ingredients contained in the
recipe, some
dogs have ingested a toxic dose of chocolate by eating an entire pan of
brownies or
another chocolate dessert, particularly one containing baking chocolate.
Fortunately,
the animal frequently vomits soon after which reduces the amount of poison
in the
stomach available to act on the body and decreases the toxicity somewhat. If
clinical
signs are seen, these can include vomiting, excessive urination,
hyperactivity, fast
breathing, weakness and seizures. While rare, death can occur, usually due
to the
adverse action of methylxanthines on the heart.
Many people unknowingly feed their dogs chocolate treats (candy bars,
cookies, etc.)
without obvious illness resulting; the lack of clinical signs is due only to
the relatively low
dose of methylxanthines in small amounts of milk chocolate. It is certainly
better for
your pet to stick to treats he or she will like just as much (freeze-dried
liver pieces
come to mind - yummy!) and avoid chocolate-containing treats where the dog
is
concerned. Also be aware that an accidental overdose of cake, bars, etc.
containing
chocolate can pose a significant risk to a dog. If this should happen to
your pet, make
note of the amount of chocolate used in the recipe, the approximate amount
eaten by
your pet and give your veterinarian a call to determine if the dose was
sufficient to
cause any problems.
Scott & Laura wrote:
> sandee98 wrote:
> >
> > I heard that giving chocolate to a cat can be lethal. Is this really true.
Mari
dinner when we did. It was usually "Mint Chocolate Chip" and she got
2-3 teaspoons in her bowl. She loved it and it never seemed to do her
any harm.
Along the same lines, my parents cats _love_ pudding - chocolate and
tapioca. They get a small amount on a finger or spoon. They show no
ill effects.
I have heard that chocolate is poisonous to cats and dogs, but I was
also told by a vet that a lot has to do with the amount of chocolate;
that chocolate in very small amounts is not poisonous or harmful. How
does one determine the truth with so many conflicting 'rules'?
I have been told by vets that anything with a tomato base, like
spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, etc. is very harmful to cats because
their digestive tracts can't handle the acidity. Has anyone else
heard this?
Mari
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Jen in ND
> I have been told by vets that anything with a tomato base, like
> spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, etc. is very harmful to cats because
> their digestive tracts can't handle the acidity. Has anyone else
> heard this?
>
> Mari
One of my cat books says to give your cat tomato juice mixed in with its
canned food, but I can't remember why. My husband and I recently moved,
and the book is in a box somewhere - otherwise I would look it up! I
think the book is called "Cat Love".
Jen in ND
Lorenzo L. Love
Mari wrote:
> I grew up with a dog (Annabell) and she always got ice cream after
> dinner when we did. It was usually "Mint Chocolate Chip" and she got
> 2-3 teaspoons in her bowl. She loved it and it never seemed to do her
> any harm.
>
> Along the same lines, my parents cats _love_ pudding - chocolate and
> tapioca. They get a small amount on a finger or spoon. They show no
> ill effects.
>
> I have heard that chocolate is poisonous to cats and dogs, but I was
> also told by a vet that a lot has to do with the amount of chocolate;
> that chocolate in very small amounts is not poisonous or harmful. How
> does one determine the truth with so many conflicting 'rules'?
>
> I have been told by vets that anything with a tomato base, like
> spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, etc. is very harmful to cats because
> their digestive tracts can't handle the acidity. Has anyone else
> heard this?
>
> Mari
Of course the amount is important. Try taking a couple grams of caffeine
and see what happens. Humans are descended from fruit and nut eating
primates and can tolerate levels of plant toxins that can kill meat eaters
like cats and dogs. Chocolate is full of toxins. A little bit of chocolate
won't kill your cat but then a little bit of cyanide won't kill you
either. Does that mean you should take cyanide? As for tomatoes, ask
yourself "do wild cats eat tomatoes?". So why should tame cats? Cats are
not humans, they are carnivores and need to be treated as such. When
humans start treating their cats like baby humans they cause no end of
trouble for the cats. Give cats the respect they deserve as cats, not as
proxie humans.
Lorenzo
Gary Cooper
On Fri, 14 Aug 1998, sandee98 wrote:
> I heard that giving chocolate to a cat can be lethal. Is this really true.
> Sometimes when I'm eating chocolate pudding my cat likes to join in and
> lick a small amount from the spoon. Is this safe or should I discourage
> it? I'm not sure why the chocolate is lethal, if in fact it is, but I sure
> won't give it to him if it is. Of course I wouldn't give him chocolate
> bars and chocolate icing from a cake, but I just thought the pudding would
> be harmless. Please advise. Thanks.
>
> Sandee
Yes, chocolate is toxic for cats and more so for dogs. The reason is that
chocolate contains several poisonous alkaloids. Humans, for whatever
reason, have enzymes in our bodies that break down these alkaloids before
they do serious harm (but they probably do affect us enough to account for
much of the pleasure we get from eating chocolate). Dogs and cats do not
have these enzymes.
My vet told me that it's actually fairly uncommon for a dog or cat to die
from chocolate poisoning, because they tend to get very sick (diarrhea and
vomiting) before they manage to consume a lethal dose. That hardly means
chocolate is safe, though. People have survived eating small amounts of
arsenic and strychnine (years ago, they were prescribed as medicines), but
don't try this for yourself.
I once was staying at the home of friends, and when I was packing to
leave, I couldn't find the chocolate bars I'd bought during my trip. There
were only a few shreds of paper under the bed. Finally I put two and two
together and realized that the chocolate had gone missing at about the
same time my friends' dog started throwing up all over the house. My
friends were very embarrassed that "Buddy" had swiped my candy, but I was
a lot more embarrassed when I realized I'd almost assassinated their
family pet.
This week when one of our cats was sick, I was reminded (before I did it,
fortunately) that cats should NEVER be given acetomenophen (Tylenol). Even
one pill can kill a cat very quickly.
Don't give your pets chocolate, either. The fact that they don't drop dead
instantly (although they will if they eat large amounts of chocolate)
doesn't mean it isn't bad for them.
Gary
David A Thomas
...
> Along the same lines, my parents cats _love_ pudding - chocolate and
> tapioca. They get a small amount on a finger or spoon. They show no
> ill effects.
>
> I have heard that chocolate is poisonous to cats and dogs, but I was
> also told by a vet that a lot has to do with the amount of chocolate;
> that chocolate in very small amounts is not poisonous or harmful. How
> does one determine the truth with so many conflicting 'rules'?
The answer is: don't rely on rules that over-simplify the facts. Your
vet is absolutely correct; the toxicity of chocolate, like many other
substances, is related to dose.
In the case of chocolate, the substance to be concerned about is the
alkaloid theobromine, which is found in the cocoa solids. The LD(50)
for theobromine in cats is estimated at 100-200 mg/kg [1].
It is hard to imagine how a cat could ingest a lethal amount of
chocolate. One ounce of dark baking chocolate contains 35 mg of
caffeine and 392 mg of theobromine, which would be quite close to the
LD(50) level cited above for an average-sized cat. However, as everyone
knows, unsweetened chocolate is so bitter that it would be inconceivable
for a cat to eat that much (dogs are a different matter).
Sweet "eating" chocolate only contains about 15% of the amount of cocoa
solids found in baking chocolate. Milk chocolate only contains about
10%, and chocolate ice cream or chocolate pudding contains even less.
Although 400 mg of theobromine could be lethal for an eight-pound cat,
he would have to consume more than a whole pint of chocolate ice cream
to get that much theobromine. That would be physically impossible.
[1] Hooser, S.B., and Beasley, V.R., in Kirk, R.W.:
_Current_Veterinary_Therapy_IX_, Saunders, Philadelphia, 1986.
pp 191-192.
--
David Thomas (david-at-micro-dot-ti-dot-com)
Texas Instruments, Houston (281)-274-2347
Ronn Blankenship
> In the case of chocolate, the substance to be concerned about is the
> alkaloid theobromine, which is found in the cocoa solids. The LD(50)
> for theobromine in cats is estimated at 100-200 mg/kg [1].
>
> It is hard to imagine how a cat could ingest a lethal amount of
> chocolate. One ounce of dark baking chocolate contains 35 mg of
> caffeine and 392 mg of theobromine, which would be quite close to the
> LD(50) level cited above for an average-sized cat. However, as
> everyone
> knows, unsweetened chocolate is so bitter that it would be
> inconceivable
> for a cat to eat that much (dogs are a different matter).
>
> Sweet "eating" chocolate only contains about 15% of the amount of
> cocoa
> solids found in baking chocolate. Milk chocolate only contains about
> 10%, and chocolate ice cream or chocolate pudding contains even less.
> Although 400 mg of theobromine could be lethal for an eight-pound cat,
>
> he would have to consume more than a whole pint of chocolate ice cream
>
> to get that much theobromine. That would be physically impossible.
>
> [1] Hooser, S.B., and Beasley, V.R., in Kirk, R.W.:
> _Current_Veterinary_Therapy_IX_, Saunders, Philadelphia, 1986.
> pp 191-192.
Thanks, David.
This question has come up many times, and, while many people know that
the theobromine in chocolate will kill a dog, even many vets I've asked
said they really didn't know if it is poisonous to cats, just that "cats
probably won't eat chocolate." Your post is the first quantative
information I have seen on the subject.
-- Ronn! :)
yngver
Ronn Blankenship <ronn.bla...@postoffice.worldnet.att.net> writes:
I second these thanks. My own vet had told me that a cat would have to
eat a whole chocolate bar for it to have a toxic effect, so that I
shouldn't worry if the cat laps up a teaspoon of chocolate ice cream.
I must say I also question the amount of chocolate it would take to
kill a dog. When I was in grad school, my roommate's dog (about the
size of a labrador) ate an entire 2-lb box of chocolates I'd received
for Valentine's Day. He did not throw it up, either. A year or so
later, he ate two dozen chocolate chip cookies that were cooling on the
table. He also did not throw up. Back then we had never heard that
chocolate was toxic to dogs so we didn't think anything of it. He lived
to an old age for a dog so obviously the chocolate did not have any
real deleterious effect. Of course, he was a big dog; that amount of
chocolate might well have harmed a smaller dog, I guess.
-yngver
(to reply, change initial "i" to "y")
LeeAnne
LeeAnne
Jen in ND wrote:
> Mari wrote:
>
> > I have been told by vets that anything with a tomato base, like
> > spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, etc. is very harmful to cats because
> > their digestive tracts can't handle the acidity. Has anyone else
> > heard this?
> >
> > Mari
>