Chocolate contains a natural chemical called theobromine, which comes from the cacao tree. Human bodies break it down in just a few hours. But a dog’s body works on it about five times more slowly, so the chemical builds up and starts to affect their heart, muscles, and brain.
The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it has. Dark chocolate and baker’s chocolate are the most dangerous. Milk chocolate has less, and white chocolate has barely any cocoa solids at all. Even so, vets warn never to give dogs any chocolate, because even a small amount can make them very ill.
Cats and birds can’t process theobromine well either, but cats can’t taste sweetness so they rarely choose to eat chocolate. Dogs, on the other hand, will happily wolf down a whole bar if they find one. If you ever drop chocolate on the floor, picking it up fast is the kind thing to do.
