Is Chocolate More Dangerous to Small Dog Breeds?

The evidence has been established when it comes to Chocolate and Your Dog: Fact or Conspiracy. There is no conspiracy, chocolate is toxic to all dog breeds, but the level of toxicity depends on a few factors. The type of chocolate ingested, the size and weight of the dog, and the metabolic rate by which the dog processes food. But the question still stands, is chocolate more dangerous to small dog breeds?

Before we address if chocolate is more dangerous to small dog breeds, we must explain how and why chocolate, and the type of chocolate, are toxic to dogs in general. Chocolate has two compounds, theobromine, and caffeine. These compounds are used medicinally in humans as a diuretic, heart stimulant, blood vessel dilator, and smooth muscle relaxant. In dogs, they have the same reaction. Humans can metabolize these compounds without issue, but dogs can not. Because dogs can not metabolize these compounds as efficiently as humans the overdose rate is triggered with small amounts of chocolate. Where a human can consume these compounds in chocolate, without signs or symptoms, dogs will have adverse effects similar to a person that is over-caffeinated.

Now that you know why chocolate can be toxic to all dog breeds, let’s focus on the factors contributing to the danger. As discussed in the introductory paragraph the type of chocolate ingested, the height and weight of the dog, and the metabolic rate by which the dog processes food, all contribute to how chocolate might affect your dog. The type of chocolate is important because each type holds a different amount of the chemical theobromine and caffeine.