Dog Chocolate Toxicity Calculator
Enter your dog's weight, the type of chocolate and how much was eaten. You'll see the estimated dose and what symptoms to expect.
If your dog ate chocolate, call your vet now, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (US, a fee may apply). Don't wait for symptoms, which can take 6 to 12 hours to appear. This calculator is an estimate and doesn't replace a vet.
How the calculation works
Chocolate is toxic to dogs because of theobromine and caffeine, together called methylxanthines. Dogs clear them slowly. The calculator multiplies the amount eaten by the typical methylxanthine content of that chocolate, then divides by your dog's weight in kilograms to get a dose in mg/kg.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Typical effects |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | Usually no serious signs; possible stomach upset from fat and sugar |
| 20 to 40 | Vomiting, diarrhea, thirst, restlessness |
| 40 to 60 | Racing heart, abnormal heart rhythm, high blood pressure |
| Over 60 | Tremors and seizures; can be fatal |
Methylxanthine content by type, per ounce: cocoa powder about 800 mg, baking chocolate about 450 mg, semisweet and dark 150 to 160 mg, milk chocolate about 64 mg, white chocolate almost none. Values vary by brand and cocoa percentage.
Worked example
A 30 lb (13.6 kg) dog eats 3 oz of milk chocolate: 3 × 64 = 192 mg, ÷ 13.6 kg = 14 mg/kg. That's below the 20 mg/kg level for clear symptoms, but still worth a call to your vet. The same amount of baking chocolate would be 99 mg/kg, which is an emergency.
Frequently asked questions
What will the vet do?
If the chocolate was eaten in the last hour or two, a vet can usually make your dog vomit to remove it, then give activated charcoal. Don't try to make your dog vomit at home unless a vet tells you to.
Is white chocolate safe?
It has almost no theobromine, so poisoning is very unlikely. The fat and sugar can still cause vomiting, diarrhea or pancreatitis.
What about cocoa mulch, brownies and chocolate cake?
Cocoa bean mulch contains theobromine too. Baked goods are hard to estimate, so go by the chocolate in the recipe and assume the worst. Some sugar-free sweets contain xylitol, which is far more dangerous than chocolate; call a vet right away.