Take a breath — help starts with three quick answers. Enter your dog's weight, tap the chocolate type, and estimate how much was eaten. You will get the theobromine dose and a clear risk level in seconds.
Results update as you type. If you are unsure of any number, estimate on the higher-danger side (smaller dog, darker chocolate, more eaten) and call your vet.
Brownie, cake, or mixed candy? Pick the darkest chocolate in it and estimate the chocolate portion — then call your vet, since baked goods are hard to estimate.
Helpful anchors: a standard candy bar ≈ 1.5 oz · a baking square = 1 oz · a large sharing bar ≈ 3.5–4 oz · 1 oz ≈ 28 grams. Check the wrapper weight if you have it.
Do not wait for symptoms — they can take 6–12 hours to appear, and early treatment works best. Keep the wrapper and note when it happened.
Your own vet or local emergency vet is also a great first call. Helplines may charge a consultation fee.
Theobromine concentrations below are the standard mid-range figures published in veterinary references (consistent with Merck Veterinary Manual values). Actual products vary by brand and cocoa percentage — one more reason to confirm with your vet.
| Chocolate type | Theobromine |
|---|---|
| White chocolate | ~0.25 mg/oz |
| Milk chocolate | ~64 mg/oz |
| Dark / semisweet chocolate | ~150 mg/oz |
| Baker's (unsweetened) chocolate | ~450 mg/oz |
| Cocoa powder (dry) | ~800 mg/oz |
| Risk band (mg/kg) | Typical concern |
|---|---|
| Mild — under 20 | Stomach upset |
| Moderate — 20–40 | Heart & agitation signs |
| Severe — 40–60 | Cardiac / tremor risk |
| Potentially lethal — over 60 | Seizures, life-threatening |
Toxicity depends on the theobromine dose per kilogram of body weight. Mild signs (vomiting, diarrhea) can appear around 20 mg/kg, heart effects around 40–50 mg/kg, and seizures or worse at 60 mg/kg and above. Darker chocolate contains far more theobromine per ounce, so a small amount of baker's chocolate or cocoa powder can be more dangerous than a larger amount of milk chocolate.
Note the chocolate type, roughly how much is missing, and your dog's weight, then call your veterinarian or a pet poison helpline right away — do not wait for symptoms, which can take 6–12 hours to appear. Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian tells you to. Keep wrappers to show the vet.
Signs often begin within 2–4 hours but can take 6–12 hours to appear, and theobromine is cleared from a dog's body slowly, so signs can last for days in serious cases. A dog that looks fine an hour after eating chocolate is not necessarily safe — early veterinary advice matters.
Per ounce, cocoa powder (about 800 mg theobromine/oz) and unsweetened baker's chocolate (about 450 mg/oz) are the most dangerous, followed by dark chocolate (about 150 mg/oz) and milk chocolate (about 64 mg/oz). White chocolate has almost no theobromine (about 0.25 mg/oz) but its fat and sugar can still upset the stomach.
For a medium or large dog, a small amount of milk chocolate usually causes at most stomach upset. For a very small dog, even milk chocolate can reach a dangerous mg/kg dose quickly. Size matters as much as the chocolate type — run the numbers for your dog and call your vet when in doubt.