My dog ate chocolate. Is it serious?
Put in their weight and roughly how much they got through. You will get an answer in a couple of seconds — no sign-up, no scrolling past a story about someone’s labrador.
A standard chocolate bar is about 45g. Guess high if you are unsure.
Fill in the weight and the amount to see what to do.
This is guidance, not a diagnosis, and it cannot see your dog. Chocolate strength varies between products, and other things in the wrapper — the foil, a xylitol-sweetened filling, raisins — can matter more than the chocolate itself. When in doubt, phone. See our terms.
When to call a vet
Call immediately, whatever this page says, if your dog is having a seizure, cannot stand, is breathing strangely, has a racing heart, or is vomiting repeatedly. Call too if they may also have eaten raisins, anything sweetened with xylitol, or the packaging. Treatment given early is far more effective than treatment given once symptoms start.
Why chocolate is a problem
Chocolate contains theobromine, a stimulant closely related to caffeine. People clear it from the body within hours. Dogs process it far more slowly, so it builds up and starts to affect the gut, then the heart, then the nervous system. How much trouble a dog is in comes down to three things: how much they ate, how strong the chocolate was, and how big the dog is. A 100g bar of milk chocolate is a genuine vet call for a 5kg terrier and usually a bad stomach for a 30kg labrador.
Darker means stronger. Baking chocolate and cocoa powder carry many times the theobromine of the same weight in milk chocolate, which is why a small amount spilled in a kitchen can matter more than a whole bar from a Christmas stocking.
Written for worried owners by HowsYourPets. General guidance, not veterinary advice — who we are.