In a thread down a bit some jerk posted 'trying out' your chocolate stores by feeding it to your dog. Do it and your dog will likely die painfully. Also aspirin is toxic to cats. You love your pet...don't do it!

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), December 21, 1999

Answers

Noted. Will be careful not to drop chocolate on floor. Will stockpile large quantities of aspirin.

-- slimeballkitties (allcats@mustdie.com), December 21, 1999.

ROTFLMAO!!! Slimeball!

My thoughts exactly!

-- Zoltan (done used@up their nine.lives), December 21, 1999.

Never mix a 2 year old, a golden retriever, and a chocolate easter bunny! Nobody wins (especially the person who has to clean up the doggie regugitated easter bunny).

-- Phread (lurking@y2k.com), December 21, 1999.

-- slimeballkitties (allcats@mustdie.com), December 21, 1999.

ROTFLMAO!!! Slimeball!

My thoughts exactly!

-- Zoltan (done used@up their nine.lives), December 21, 1999.

Sorry guys; please don't take this personally, but I have to tell you,"eat cat shit and die".

THERE IS ONLY ROOM FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CRUEL AIRHEADS ON THIS PLANET, AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN REACHED. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

ALK

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), December 21, 1999.

Yes, I've always heard that chocolate and dogs not a good mix. But all sorts of people I know feed their dogs chocolate and they laugh at me. Was in Scotland in August and in one of the pubs there was this dog that comes everyday with his master for his Mars Bar. Looked nice and healthy to me. Hummm....

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 21, 1999.

How long ago, 20 years, I first heard of Dreaded Chocolate and "Dog Drop Dead". Excuse me, had a female Dobie Pup, It was Christmas, I started cooking fudge, This dog went nuts, she was chasing me all over the house. I gave her the chocolate fudge. She did not die, I had such fun while playing peek @ boo with the spoon and dog. That is my two cents worth. Her name was "Bridgett, and she was a classsy pet.

-- Friend Dog, brings me Laughs (somebody@fedyoucrap.com), December 21, 1999.

I was a veterinary tech for 8 years until my eyesite started acting up. Now, I do know of people who feed their dogs choco;ate...but it's a no-no. You wanna take a chance?

As for the other two jerks...SYSOPS please DELETE! };-]

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), December 21, 1999.

Satana.... I know about the chocolate toxicity for dogs,(in fact, I know of a Lab who went into spasms and almost died from devouring a box of chocolates on the coffee table)... but isn't it acetaminophen (sp) (Tylenol) and *not* aspirin that is toxic for cats?

-- Birdlady (Birdlady@nest.home), December 21, 1999.

Where the Hay are you coming from? Twenty years ago, I had a house Dobie. I made fudge, this dog got all jazzzed from the smell, she began to chase me and spoon. I was laughing so hard gave her a taste for her effort. We had such fun, she did not roll over and die, from the taste. She lived to be an old Dog.

-- Are You Gov-mit? (Santanaplease@getagrip.com), December 21, 1999.

I have worked as a veterinary assistant. A medium-sized dog that eats a pound of chocolate will be a dead dog.

-- (X@....), December 21, 1999.

I asked a Vet Professor at Virginia Tech/Univ Maryland Vet School, who said that there is no true way to predict a "safe" amount for any dog; it varies based on their unique body chemistry. I had a friend who fed hershey kisses to her annoying taco bell dog. The dog got all these huge cysts all over; really grotesque. Dropped dead of cancer within a year.

MOTRIN is also poison for dogs.

Benedryl can be given to dogs at a human dose; got my dogs over colds, hot spots, and allergies.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 21, 1999.

Birdlady....I remember aspirin...but it might not be good to give Tylenol to a cat either. [MHOP]

As to the other question....so you gave your dog fudge or whatever....I've been shot and I'm still here...does that mean that eveyone who gets shot lives?

You don't like what I'm telling you? Do it your way. Call a local veterinarian...I don't give a shit what you do.

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), December 21, 1999.

Thanks for the reminder to folks, Santana......several years ago, I had made a batch of buckeyes ( a candy made of chocolate and peanut butter).....had them in a bowl on the counter. Left the house, for awhile, and when I came back, I found the bowl on the floor, with most of the candy gone. The cat had pushed the bowl of candy over, and the dog had cleaned up. But, the poor dog was so sick....I can't recall all his symptoms, but I was really worried that he wouldn't survive. The vet said there wasn't anything he could do, at that point, for me just to observe. Fortunately, the dog pulled out of it, but he was one VERY sick dog for several hours. Readers....even if you know better than to feed your dog chocolate (which I did!), remember that cats like to knock things onto the floor, for some reason, and then it's easy pickin's for the dog!

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), December 21, 1999.

Joanne-You and the cat were in on it together, but I survived... You two will never know where I buried the keys BBBWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHARF!

-- One Sick Dog (dog@reallysick.net), December 21, 1999.

As I noted in a previous thread. Chocolate contains various alkaloid compounds (theobromine, caffeine etc.)While harmless to people (in moderation) a dog can experience hypertensive sensations. This can be fatal in some cases, in others it may just show itself like a caffeine jag. Better leave the good stuff for us humans.

-- Polly-Morphic Doomer (greenem31@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

Had a customer used to feed her dog chocolate. When she first opened the door to me there was this creature kinda lolling around by her feet. I thought, "What the heck kinda creature is that?" It turned out to be a poodle but it was so fat you had to search for the identity. Was the ugliest thing I've ever seen a person do to an animal.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), December 21, 1999.

Just like people, dogs will naturally eat things that aren't good for them (and chocolate is definitely on the list.) If you notice, the people who regularly feed their dogs chocolate "with no bad effects" feed some form of milk chocolate. Enough quantity, and this type of chocolate is dangerous/deadly. Dark chocolate (which is typically used for cooking/etc) is far more dangerous & deadly to dogs - they won't typically survive a meal.

-- Ford Prefect (bring@your.towel), December 21, 1999.

I had a black lab about 15 years ago who got into and ate 6 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips, including the plastic bags. Other than having to go back to the store for more chocolate, the dog had no ill effects of any kind.

-- Powder (Powder@keg.com), December 21, 1999.

Ok so we've established that feeding chocolate to dogs is generally unsafe and not recommended. It is also not a myth. We have also established that there are, of course, dogs who HAVE eaten chocolate and lived to bark about it. But I would take the advice of whoever said you just don't know how much will affect your dog adversely and HOW it will affect your dog.

As for me, I have a 6 lb Chihuahua and would NEVER give him chocolate. I love him so much and he is so tiny I am afraid it would kill him.

On the other hand, I also have two cats--Clarissa is very lady-like and fit. Thunder is a fat pig. He will and has eaten EVERYTHING. We have tried all kinds of methods to keep him off the kitchen counters when we aren't looking to no avail. He has eaten the tops off of a dozen cinnamon rolls, chicken noodle soup, tortilla chips and queso, nachos, popcorn balls, broccoli cheese casserole. I have learned to put lids on or otherwise cover all foods if I leave them. He and the dog are in cahoots. When he is up there eating, he knocks some off for Buddy (the Taco Bell dog). Once he got to some Polska Keilbasa. The dog was so stuffed he felt like a sausage and spent the rest of the day barfing in the backyard. Darn pig cat spent the rest of the day licking his chops and resting his lazy *ss.

But really, I love them.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 21, 1999.

I've going to chime in with my dog-chocolate story. Back when I was a wee lad, we had a border collie mix. Well it was Christmas eve and Mom had made a whole plate of fudge and placed it on the coffee table. The family left for church and when we got back the plate was empty. No one in the family confessed to pilfering this whopping platter of delectables so we pinned it on the dog. He lived without any adverse reaction. Chocolate wasn't TEOTWAWKI for him. However pretzels would make him yack without fail.

-- Scottsworth (NewEnglander@Ct.com), December 21, 1999.

Like I said...I've been shot...you?

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), December 21, 1999.

We had two gorgeous huge fluffy white Samoyeds. Enormous dogs, over 100 lbs each. Our babies, spoiled rotten, very happy dogs :-) The female was a chowhound. One day she was begging and we gave her just one square from a chocolate bar. She went beserk. She went turbo hyper and began eating the carpet out of the van. We couldn't control her! It was like she had ingested Speed or something. The vet said to give her liquid Pepto Bismol. The wildness lasted all day. She lived, and we never ever let those pups get near chocolate again!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), December 21, 1999.

It's really funny to give a dog peanut butter. It sticks to the roof of their mouth and they make a smacking sound. It doesn't take much to amuse me and the kids.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

Satanta,

No, haven't been shot.

Relax, I don't believe anyone is questioning your vet experience or the fact that chocolate is poison to dogs. We are just telling our stories. From what I can gather reading the posts different dogs may have different tolerance levels. Would't you agree that this is possible?

-- Scottsworth (NewEnglander@Ct.com), December 21, 1999.