Can Dogs Eat White Chocolate
White chocolate is rich and loaded with sugar, which increases the risk of pancreatitis even if it doesn’t have enough theobromine to be harmful. Even without the threat of toxicity, chocolate is not a healthy treat for dogs, leading to obesity and ill health, therefore it is best to stay away from it.
There are various chocolate treats for dogs that look and smell chocolatey, but have no theobromine, the toxic ingredient, included in the ingredients. Dog-friendly chocolate treats look and smell like chocolate, but do not have theobromine, the toxic component, included in the ingredients.
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Chocolate can be toxic to pets, and while theobromine is found in all types of chocolate–white, milk, and dark–it is usually most concentrated in dark chocolate. While white chocolate contains less theobromine, a toxic ingredient in chocolate to dogs, than either dark chocolate or milk chocolate, it is higher in sugar and fat. The darker chocolate, the higher amount of theobromine, the chemical cousin to caffeine, that it contains. The amounts of theobromine and caffeine differ between chocolates, but milk chocolate contains about 44 mg of theobromine per ounce, making it potentially toxic to dogs.
| Storage | Shelf life |
| At room temperature | 1 year |
| In refrigerator | Opened 4 months |
Of all chocolate types, darker/baker chocolate has the highest amount of theobromine, at 130-140 mg per ounce of chocolate. White chocolate does contain theobromine, but it is in such small amounts per ounce that a medium-sized dog would need to consume a substantial amount of white chocolate in order to become sick. White chocolate does not have the dangers associated with toxicity from theobromine, and dogs would need to consume a significant amount of white chocolate in order to experience the same effects that they would with dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
Even if the amounts consumed are not of concern for toxicity, sugar and fats found in white chocolate could still make dogs sick if they ingest too much sugar and fats in an uncontrolled portion of white chocolate. Even if the amount consumed does not pose a toxicity concern, dogs can still get sick from the fat and sugar in chocolate.
Yes, chocolate is bad for dogs, and if your dog has consumed too much, the potential exists for serious medical emergencies. Chocolate can also contain other ingredients that are dangerous for dogs, like some nuts, raisins, and alcohol.
While an accidental chocolate chip in one cookie might not be an issue, there are some types of chocolate we are concerned about: The less sweet and dark chocolate, the more toxic it is for your pets. A dog would need to consume large amounts of white chocolate in order to really feel a toxicity of theobromine, but other ingredients in white chocolate may cause major problems with your four-legged family member, like its high sugar content.
Even if white chocolate does not contain enough of the toxic bromine to poison a dog, its high fat content can cause the dog extreme illness, vomiting, and diarrhea. A veterinarian said that there is so little of the toxic theobromine in white chocolate that medium-sized dogs weighing about 30 pounds could consume up to 145 pounds of white chocolate before they would be at risk for chocolate poisoning. Theobromine – the toxic ingredient in chocolate – can be found in white chocolate, however, it is in such small amounts that a dog would need to consume an enormous amount of white chocolate in order to experience any symptoms mirroring chocolate toxicity, including vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and even heart attacks, among other signs.
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Theobromine is the toxic compound found in chocolate, and it can cause a number of symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and shaking. While humans have a metabolism to deal with toxic theobromine, in pets, it can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, and dehydration, and is potentially deadly. Dogs are unable to process the chemical called theobromine the way humans can, so it is dangerous to them in high enough doses.
Even if it has lower levels of theobromine than baking soda or dark chocolate, it is still unsafe and too risky for your dog to consume. It is not nearly as lethal as bakers chocolate or dark chocolate, but it is still very harmful for dogs, especially dogs who are suffering from ongoing health problems. They continue to say that you still need to keep it out of the dogs food, as there is just way too much sugar and fat in it for it to be healthy or safe. Like any human food, bananas should be given to dogs in moderation, and make sure that they are not allergic.
If your dog is not allergic to milk or lactose-intolerant, a small portion of plain vanilla ice cream is the safest way to share this with them. Solid chocolate with milk is not a risk for your dog, as it contains very small levels of chemicals that produce a toxic reaction, so no medical care is needed.
Although white chocolate is not nearly as toxic to our dogs as milk chocolate or dark chocolate, it does contain a toxic stimulant called theobromine, which may cause symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, heart attacks, and seizures. When high levels of theobromine are present in the bodies of our four-legged friends, this puts our canine friends at risk of Chocolate Toxication. Because dogs cannot digest theobromine and caffeine the way humans do, they are more susceptible to the chemicals harmful effects. How lethal this is to your dog depends on your dogs size and body weight, as the toxicity depends on how much theobromine is present relative to the dogs total body weight.
In fact, a fatal dose of theobromine in dogs is said to be anywhere from 100-500 mg per kg of the dogs body weight. Even moderate amounts of theobromine can cause cardiac problems in dogs that have pre-existing medical problems, like diabetes.
Even without the toxicity risk, chocolate is not a healthy treat for dogs, it causes obesity and bad health, so it is best to avoid it. According to VCA Animal Hospital, darker, bitter chocolate is more dangerous to dogs than other types. Note that in addition to theobromine, chocolate also contains fats and sugars, which are best kept out of the dogs diet.
Semi-sweet baking chocolate contains 150 mg/oz, while unsweetened baking chocolate contains 400 mg/oz of theobromine. White chocolate contains the evil cacao butter, sugar, and milk, but just tiny amounts of toxic theobromine. An emergency veterinarian confirmed that it is very unlikely that white chocolate would poison a dog, even though it is labelled high in cacao solids. That does not mean that if your dog happens to nab a piece of white chocolate, he is out of the woods – toxic theobromine doses are reported as low as 20 mg/kg, so if your dog breaks into a cupboard and devours a stockpile of white chocolate candies, there is a very real chance that he could get poisoned. Theobromine is found in all the different types of chocolate: Some types have more and others have less.
Why was white chocolate invented?
Although the maker doesn’t identify the creator, it’s possible that the fact that white chocolate was initially created as a way to use up surplus cocoa butter has been lost to history. The first commercially available white chocolate item in the US was a white chocolate bar from A Well Known Brands, which made its debut in 1948.
Is white chocolate worse than milk chocolate?
While milk and white chocolate both have some calcium. White chocolate regularly has more calories, around 1 gram of protein, 8 grams of sugar, and 4.5 grams of fat might be tracked down in one tablespoon of this type of chocolate. On the pther hand, dark chocolate has a little measure of dietary iron.
What are the signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs?
Chocolate poisoning in dogs can manifest for 2-24 hours after ingestion. These include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, seizures, hyperactivity, and pancreas inflammation known as pancreatitis. These symptoms can proceed to heart failure, coma, and death in serious conditions.