Chocolate Toxicity

Levels of theobromine in Chocolate

Concentration of theobromine varies with the formulation of the chocolate

Milk chocolate has 44mg/oz (154mg/100gm)
Semisweet chocolate has 150 mg/oz (528mg/100gm)
Baking chocolate 390mg/oz (1365 mg/100gm)

The theobromine in candies consisting of chocolate that is coated over some other substance - as in filled candies and chocolate coated dried fruits, etc will be more dilute than that in pure chocolate bars and solid chocolate candies.

Things like Oreos and other chocolate cookies, or chocolate ice cream, contain only a tiny bit of real chocolate. Candybars that are covered in chocolate have only slightly more. Hershey's kisses are milk chocolate, but a few aren't usually dangerous for larger dogs. Good chocolate bars and bittersweet chocolate are risky. I've been known to share my oreos and chocolate chip cookies now and then.

There is also some evidence that the effect (at least in some dogs) can be cumulative. While one incident may not be dangerous for your dog, letting them eat chocolate over time can lead to issues.

IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS, CALL YOUR VET!!!! If your dog is acting strangely (very energetic, or listless, throwing up, breathing quickly, or pacing, or showing signs of pain), call immediately!

Toxic Amounts of Chocolate


Dog's         Amount of         Amount of         Approx. Mg.

Weight        Milk Choc       Unsweet. Choc       Theobromine



 5 lb.          4 oz.             .5  oz.              200

10 lbs.         8 oz.            1.0  oz.              400

20 lbs.         1 lb.            2.5  oz.              900

30 lbs.         2 lbs.           3.25 oz.             1300

40 lbs.         2.5 lbs.         4.5  oz.             1800

50 lbs.         3 lbs.           5.5  oz.             2250

60 lbs.         4 lbs.           7.0  oz.             2700

70 lbs.         5 lbs.           8.5  oz.             3400

in metrics:


Dog's         Amount of         Amount of         Approx. Mg.

Weight        Milk Choc       Unsweet. Choc       Theobromine



 2.2 kg.       113.4 g.          14.1 g.               200

 4.5 kg.       226.8 g.          28.3 g.               400

 9.0 kg.       453.6 g.          70.8 g.               900

13.6 kg.       907.2 g.          92.1 g.              1300

18.0 kg.       1.134 kg.        127.5 g.              1800

22.6 kg.       1.360 kg.        156.0 g.              2250

27.2 kg.       1.814 kg.        198.4 g.              2700

31.7 kg.       2.268 kg.        240.9 g.              3400

What to feed your dog
how much to feed
how to do it
dry dog foods
raw diet