Can Dogs Eat Chocolate? A Plain No, and What to Hand Over

People ask us can dogs eat chocolate whenever the holidays come around, and the answer is a plain no. Skip it in every form, and keep it where the dog cannot reach it.

A lot of pages on this topic say it depends. This one does not. Dark or milk, a bar or baked into a cookie, it gets the same answer from us: keep it on your plate.

Below you will find what two outside sources say about chocolate and where it turns up around Christmas. After that comes what to do if the dog already got into some, followed by what we hand over instead while the people eat.

Can dogs eat chocolate in any form

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control writes: "Chocolate, coffee, and caffeine are similar in that their toxicity concerns stem from their methylxanthine concentrations." Methylxanthines is the word to remember. It is the reason chocolate sits on the list of people foods to keep away from pets.

You will see chocolate ranked by type, and the AKC article ranks cocoa powder and baking chocolate above milk chocolate. That tells you where the baking square and the cocoa tin sit. It does not make milk chocolate a pass. We do not sort chocolate into the kinds a dog can have and the kinds a dog cannot, so there is no size chart on this page either. A big dog and a small dog get the same amount, which is none.

Where chocolate turns up at Christmas

Most of it arrives in the house as a gift, which is part of why it ends up at dog height.

• Wrapped gifts under the tree. A box of chocolates in paper is still a box of chocolates to a dog's nose, and wrapping paper is not much of a barrier.
• Countdown calendars made for people, with a bit of chocolate behind every door. They sit on a low shelf or a coffee table for weeks.
• The cookie plate. Brownies and chocolate chip cookies cool on the counter, and then a plate for guests ends up on the couch arm.
• Hot cocoa. A mug on the end table is easy to knock over or lick and the tin of cocoa powder by the stove is the same ingredient.
• Guest bags and coats. Relatives bring chocolate and set the bag down on the floor by the door.

Whipped cream and marshmallows on top of a cocoa do not change what is underneath. Neither does a thin layer of frosting on a brownie.

If your dog already got into some

We make treats. We are not a clinic, so we will not guess at amounts or tell you what to watch for beyond what the experts say.

The American Kennel Club puts the timing this way: "Signs of chocolate poisoning usually appear within six to 12 hours." That is the window it describes.

On what to do, the American Kennel Club says: "If you believe your dog ate chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately or call the Pet Poison Helpline (855-213-6680)." Write that number on the fridge before the party.

Do not use that window as a reason to wait and see. Make the call first. Keep the wrapper so you can tell whoever answers what it was and how much is gone, and know what your dog weighs before you dial.

Keeping it out of reach

Most of this is plain housekeeping, and it works better than hoping the dog ignores it.

• Put gifts with food in them on a shelf, not under the tree, until opening time.
• Close the door to the room with the dessert table.
• Use a trash can with a lid, because wrappers and foil smell like what they held.
• Tell guests where their bags go, and tell kids that the dog does not get a share.

What to hand the dog instead

If the dog is going to be underfoot while everyone eats, give it something of its own. We make two single ingredient treats that suit that job. Our freeze-dried beef liver is beef liver and nothing else, freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The pieces are medium and they break easily, so you can snap one into small bits for a small dog or hand a bigger piece to a big one. It is lightweight and non-greasy, which helps when the person holding it is also holding a plate.

Our freeze-dried beef heart is also one ingredient. The texture is firm and it snaps into small pieces, milder than liver. Both come in 1.5 ounce, 3 ounce and 6 ounce bags, and both are listed for all sizes of dogs.

The label on both says to feed them as a treat and to supervise while feeding. They are not a meal, so keep the portion small and keep fresh water down. If your dog is on a special diet, ask your veterinarian before adding anything new, ours included. Reseal the bag after opening and store it somewhere cool and dry. You can see the rest of what we make for the season in our Christmas dog treats collection.

Chocolate questions

Is milk chocolate okay for a dog?

No. The AKC article ranks cocoa powder and baking chocolate above milk chocolate, but being lower on a list is not the same as being a pass. Skip milk chocolate the same way you skip the dark kind.

What about chocolate chip cookies?

Skip them. A cookie has chocolate in it, and it usually has butter and sugar too, so there is nothing in the cookie to rescue. If the dog wants in on the cookie plate, hand over a small piece of plain liver or heart instead.

Can a dog have hot cocoa?

No. Cocoa powder is the main ingredient, and the whipped cream on top does not change that. Keep the mug off the floor and off the low table, and rinse the dishes before the dog gets to them.

Does a chocolate Lab get different rules?

No. A chocolate Lab, a chocolate Lab puppy, and every other dog get the same answer, which is none. The coat color has nothing to do with what is on the dessert table.

What should I do if my dog ate some?

Call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline at the number quoted above, and do it before you see how the dog looks. Keep the wrapper and know your dog's weight so you can answer the first questions quickly.

Do you make a chocolate dog treat?

No, we do not. The two treats mentioned here are single ingredient beef liver and single ingredient beef heart, and neither has chocolate in it or anywhere near it.

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