Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter

If your dog ate chocolate, contact your emergency vet immediately.

Use our calculator to learn how it will affect your dog.

Weight of your dog (pounds)
1
250
Type of Chocolate
Amount Consumed (ounces)
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What Should I Do if My Dog Ate Chocolate?

If you think your dog has eaten chocolate, or if they have any of these symptoms, contact the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 or your veterinarian or emergency vet right away:

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Increased body temperature
  • Increased reflex responses
  • Muscle rigidity
  • Rapid breathing
  • Increased heart rate
  • Low blood pressure
  • Seizures
  • Advanced signs (cardiac failure, weakness, and coma)

Keep in mind, with any poisoning, it’s always cheaper, less invasive, and has a better prognosis/outcome if you treat early. If your dog has already developed clinical signs associated with chocolate toxicity, the veterinarian visit may be more expensive, and the outcome may be worse.

If your dog has already developed clinical signs associated with chocolate toxicity, the veterinarian visit may be more expensive and the outcome may be worse.

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Common Chocolate Sources:

Ice Cream Rich Chocolate
Serving: 1 cup ( 148g)
Theobromine: 178mg
Caffeine: 5.9mg

KIT KAT Wafer Bar
Serving: 1 bar (42g)
Theobromine: 48.7mg
Caffeine: 5.9mg

Peanut M&M's
Serving: 1 cup (170g)
Theobromine: 184mg
Caffeine: 17mg

REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups (2pk)
Serving: 2 cups (45g)
Theobromine: 32.4mg
Caffeine: 3.2mg

Ready to Eat Chocolate Pudding
Serving: 4 oz (108g)
Theobromine: 75.6mg
Caffeine: 2.2mg

Doughnut, cake-type, chocolate, sugared or glazed
Serving: 1 Doughnut (3' dia) (43g)
Theobromine: 12.6mg
Caffeine: 0.6mg

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
Serving: 1.55 oz (43g)
Theobromine: 64mg
Caffeine: 9mg

Chocolate Chip Cookies , made with margarine
Serving: 1 Cookie Med (2 1/4" dia) (16g)
Theobromine: 20.3mg
Caffeine: 2.6mg

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Serving: 2 Tbsp (39g)
Theobromine: 64mg
Caffeine: 5mg

Milky Way
Serving: 1 bar (58g)
Theobromine: 37.1 mg
Caffeine: 3.5mg

Hershey's KISSES (Milk Chocolate)
Serving: 9 pieces (41g)
Theobromine: 61mg
Caffeine: 9mg

Generic Hot Fudge Sundae Topping
Serving: 1 Sundae (158g)
Theobromine: 77.4mg
Caffeine: 1.6mg

Hershey's Semi-Sweet Baking Bar
Serving: 1 Tbsp (15g)
Theobromine: 55mg
Caffeine: 7mg

REESE'S PIECES Candy
Serving: 1 package (46g)
Theobromine: 0mg
Caffeine: 0mg

Cookies, brownies, commercially prepared
Serving: 1 Square (2 –3/4" sq x 7/8") (56g)
Theobromine: 43.7mg
Caffeine: 1.1mg

aThe amount of caffeine and theobromine will vary naturally due to growing conditions and cocoa bean sources and variety.

Foods Highest in Theobromine

Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, processed with alkali (Dutch cocoa)1 cup (86g)2266 mg67.1 mg
Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares1 cup, grated (132g)1712 mg106 mg
Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened1 cup (86g)1769 mg198 mg
Baking chocolate, unsweetened, liquid1 oz (28g)447 mg13.2 mg
Puddings, chocolate flavor, low calorie, regular, dry mix1 Package (40g)238 mg7.2 mg
Desserts, rennin, chocolate, dry mix1 Package, 2 oz (57g)242 mg7.4 mg
Puddings, chocolate flavor, low calorie, instant, dry mix1 Package, 1.4 oz box (40g)189 mg5.6 mg
Syrups, chocolate, HERSHEY'S Genuine Chocolate Flavored Lite Syrup2 tbsp (35g)68.3 mg2.1 mg
Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, processed with alkali1 oz (28g)685 mg20.2 mg
Candies, chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solidsI bar (101g)810 mg80.8 mg
Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, plain1 Tbsp (5g)92.6 mg10.3mg

What Makes Chocolate Toxic to Dogs?

Chocolate contains substances known as methylxanthines (specifically caffeine and theobromine), which dogs are far more sensitive to than people. Different types of chocolate contain varying amounts of methylxanthines. In general, though, the darker and more bitter the chocolate the greater the danger.

For instance, a 50-pound dog could become equally sick from eating 8 ounces (½ pound) of milk chocolate as they would from 1 ounce of baker’s chocolate. This is because the darker chocolate is more toxic, so a smaller amount would still result in toxicity.

Why Isn't Chocolate Toxic to Humans?

Humans can break down and excrete methylxanthines such as theobromine much more efficiently than dogs.