2005-10-13 ~ 2:33 a.m.

Death By Chocolate

I almost killed my dog. Not on purpose.

He almost literally experienced death by chocolate. We had these chocolate covered macadamia packs that we bought AGES ago. Just kinda forgot about them, and he found them tonight.

I usually close all doors before I take a nap, but my nap just kinda happened, and he found it.

He's fine. He's staying at the emergency animal clinic until 7 this morning.

I feel like a horrible, horrible mother.

But, wow, thank god I was doing laundry, or I wouldn't have even found the empty boxes until it was too late.

FYI!!!!
(taken from dogownersdigest.com)

White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

The animal clinic actually told me that 8 oz. for my 11 lb dog is too much, but at least you can get a sense of it if you run into this.

My dog ate 10 oz. of chocolate.

They induced vomiting as soon as we got there. Giving him fluids and keeping an eye on him until the morning in case any of it absorbed. I would say he had eaten it no longer than 15 minutes before I realized it.

But on the bright side... I mean, death by chocolate.. ya know?

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