So we’ve been out walking buddy and some idiot grrrrrrrrrr left a load of M and M’s on the floor, luckily we caught him straight away and he possibly ate one, but no more. Does anyone know if this will upset him? And whilst we are on it (I know it’s a how long is a piece of string question) but just how much can cause problems? Obviously we have been very vigilant but this kind of thing is possibly inevitable. Thanks and hoping for some good news!
Generally speaking, the official advice is it's best to call your vet for advice on this one as it depends on the quantity and type of chocolate eaten. Dark chocolate has much higher cocoa solids in it so is much more problematic than milk chocolate. White chocolate is no problem. Type of chocolate aside, it then depends on your dog's body weight and the quantity consumed. If he really did eat just one M&M, I can't see it being a problem. If worried, call the vet and have a word on the phone.
Thanks Jo, I’ve done a fair bit of digging and it looks unlikely that it will be much to worry about. Hopefully just an upset tummy at worst. Buddy is 10kg and an m and m is about 1 gram, probably only half of that is actual chocolate, and milk chocolate at that, so fingers crossed!
This thread from a number of years ago gives some useful information. https://thelabradorforum.com/thread...seek-urgent-veterinary-help.8922/#post-133409
I hope he's OK and I'm sure he will be, like you say, an upset tummy at most. I grew up with labs in the 70s & 80s and then we had no idea chocolate and grapes, amongst other things, were dangerous for dogs. One of our labs ate grapes all the time, as a kid I fed our pups bits of chocolate and one of our dogs ate a whole box of chocolate brazils! I'm not saying it's ok and don't feed either now, but none of our dogs had any issues so I don't expect one M&M will do any damage.
One M&M or even a package of them, he will never notice. M&Ms are milk chocolate, and it takes quite a bit to be a problem. Even an Oz. or 2 of dark chocolate will probably not be an issue for a full grown Lab. There are several charts on the internet that tell how much is likely to be a problem. For chocolate and other things, keeping a bottle of hydrogen peroxide handy can be a life saver. Dump about an Oz. of Hydrogen peroxide down their throat with a shot glass or turkey baster, and everything in their stomach will be on the floor in about 30 seconds. I think this saved Tilly when she counter surfed her months supply of Deramaxx.
Thanks everyone, he slept fine and is fine this morning. I did think it would take a bit more to cause any problems, it was just that my friend seemed to think it only took a small amount as his French bulldog has been ill a few times, but he always has the runs! I think he’s going to change his diet as we were with him last night and he realised that it isn’t tiny bits of chocolate that’s causing his problems! Anyway fingers crossed it’s had no effect on buddy, thanks again.
Hi all, opinions on how much is too much varies. Merck Vet Manual Online maintains that 73 grams of sweet dark chocolate can cause toxicity in a 20 kg dog. But there is a range of opinion. The site also suggests 363 grams to cause toxicity in 20 kg dog. I think the best advice is call your vet for advice. You need an estimate of how much was consumed, the weight of the dog, time of consumption and the type of chocolate.
Thanks Michael, it was a very minimal amount and just wanted to double check on here. Buddy is 10kg and (if anything) can only have consumed probably less than 1 gram. He seems fine today but any signs and I will be straight on to the vet. Obviously if he ever (hopefully not) manages to get his paws on any amount in future that could cause concern, I would call the vet straight away.
Good to hear. I just checked the internet and the approximate weight of one M&M is 0.88 of a gram. And I believe they are made from milk chocolate, which means the dog could consume more before toxicity set in. But you were absolutely correct to raise the issue. Coppinger said dogs are parasites. I wonder whether he had Labs particularly in mind.
