If your furry friend eats sugar, you might see vomiting, diarrhea, and discomfort. Symptoms can range from a mild to severe, depending how sensitive your cat is and what they ate.
Chocolate contains ingredients called theobromine and caffeine,2 which are toxic to cats if consumed in large enough quantities. Theobromine is absorbed much more slowly in cats than it is in humans, so even a small amount of chocolate can be toxic to a small cat.
Can My Cat Eat Chocolate? In short: no! Chocolate contains caffeine and an ingredient called theobromine, both of which are dangerous to cats; in large enough amounts, it can be fatal. These compounds are stimulants, and when absorbed in a cat's body, it becomes highly toxic.
Any amount of chocolate is too much for your cat. All forms of chocolate are hazardous to your furry friend, such as dry cocoa powder and baking chocolate (most toxic due to their high level of theobromine), dark, semi-sweet, and milk chocolate, and even white chocolate, with its low percentage of cocoa.
Signs of Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
Signs of chocolate poisoning usually occur within 6-12 hours after your cat eats chocolate, and can last for up to 3 days in severe cases.
A tiny bit of baker's chocolate or pure cocoa powder is toxic to cats. However, if your cat eats a tiny bit of a milk chocolate bar they are much less likely to get chocolate poisoning from that. Still, if your cat ingests any amount of chocolate, you should call your vet right away.
Poisonous. Chocolate is just as bad for cats as it is for dogs. Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine and larger amounts of a related compound, theobromine. These compounds, known as methylxanthines, make chocolate a delicious treat for people, but dangerous for dogs and cats.
Too much chocolate, 85 bars to be exact, results in theobromine poisoning which will give you symptoms similar to that of a caffeine overdose – trembling, excessive sweating and severe headaches. In some cases, consuming 70g of theobromine can lead to death by cardiac failure, dehydration, and seizures.
They found that the cats had the gene for both sweet receptors (TAS1R2 - TAS1R3). But one of their sweet receptor is broken. That means they can't taste sweetness. They may like chocolate because of fat content.
Cats should not be given Milo due to the cocoa, sugar, and milk found in it. Cocoa contains caffeine and theobromine, which are highly toxic for cats.
Uncharacteristic sluggishness, unsteady gait, drooling, heavy breathing, diarrhea, seizures, and sudden bouts of vomiting are among the common clinical signs of feline poisoning (toxicosis). A cat owner who observes any of these signs will do an animal a huge favor by seeking emergency veterinary care.
If your dog ate a small amount of chocolate such as a few M&Ms, it is unlikely they will experience any severe symptoms. However, dogs should not eat chocolate as it is toxic to pets. If your dog has consumed chocolate, you should seek treatment immediately and monitor them for signs of chocolate poisoning.
It won't hurt your dog. The amount of chocolate in a single M&M is negligible even for a very small dog. Even a whole 1.7-ounce packet of milk chocolate M&Ms could make a small dog sick, but it isn't likely to cause symptoms in a medium or large dog.
How much chocolate can I eat a day? Experts say the recommended “dose” is approximately 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g. Indulge in anything more than that, and you may be consuming too many calories.
Threat to pets
It's the dose that makes the poison! Pets that ingest a few M&Ms or 1-2 bites of a chocolate chip cookie are unlikely to develop chocolate poisoning. For milk chocolate, any ingestion of more than 0.5 ounces per pound of body weight may put dogs at risk for chocolate poisoning.
It is also worth noticing that 100% dark chocolate is the healthiest option among all the sugar-free chocolates on the market. To make their products palatable without sugar, many big chocolate manufacturers use alternatives with lower calories but higher sweetening power.
Most cats are actually 'lactose intolerant' as they don't have the enzyme (lactase) in their intestines to digest the sugar in milk (lactose), meaning that milk which contains lactose can make them poorly. They can get vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain from drinking it (just like lactose intolerance in humans).
Most cats are lactose intolerant
This means that consuming lactose—which milk and most kinds of ice cream contain—can lead to upset stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting in cats. Furthermore, with its typical sugar, fat, and dairy content, ice cream can contribute to obesity in cats.
Dark Chocolate: Use a scale of 1.5 ounces per 10 pounds of body weight. That's 3 ounces for a 20 pound dog. If they've ingested that much or more, it's time to call your vet. Milk Chocolate or Semi-sweet: A poisonous amount would be anything over 3.5 ounces- a standard size Hershey's bar- for a small 10 pound dog.
The most common clinical signs of chocolate poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, panting or restlessness, excessive urination, and racing heart rate. In severe cases, symptoms can include muscle tremors, seizures, and heart failure.
In the United States, chocolate is measured in ounces, 1/16th of a pound. In other parts of the world, chocolate is measured in grams, and 28 grams is roughly the same amount as an ounce.