Posted by Larry Hoover on October 11, 2004, at 10:52:32
In reply to Re: chocolate meds » stressed, posted by headachequeen on October 11, 2004, at 10:21:45
> Actually chocolate can kill them...although I think it has to be baking chocolate.. a friend who raises and shows german shorthaired pointers lost an incredibly great one... almost a year old... had just cleaned up at one of the top shows for her group against older more experienced dogs... ate a Belgian chocolate bar and her heart exploded when she saw a cat and started barking...
> the same chemical is in turkey skin I knew but I did not know it is in milk or bananas and I often throw bananas into the dogs' veg and fruit mix...<timidly entering the discussion>
The toxic compound in chocolate is theobromine. There really aren't any other common sources for this alkaloid. The Latin name for the chocolate plant is Theobroma cacao. Theobromine is "the alkaloid in chocolate". The links below give some detailed information. On an ounce per ounce basis, baker's chocolate is about ten times more toxic (for dogs) than milk chocolate. Theobromine is a stimulant in humans.
http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOGS/chocolatetoxic.HTM
http://www.dogs4sale.com.au/Health_Nutrition.htm
Turkey skin *may* induce pancreatitis in some dogs. It's far from being the only trigger, and different breeds have very different susceptibility to it. Ham is probably worse than any food. Not just turkey skin.
http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dpancrea.html
Milk and bananas are not contraindicated for dogs to eat.
http://www.kavishi.freeserve.co.uk/poisonplants.htm
> I also learned the hard way that turkey is not as lean as I thought when I was in my let's get thin mode as it caused pancreatitis in one of my dogs... learned it is high in fats and sodium then...Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:5053
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041007/msgs/401542.html