Chocolate poisoning

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7517.633

BMJ 2005;331:633 (17 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7517.633

Filler

Chocolate poisoning

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Readers may be intrigued to know that "man's best friend" maybe at risk from one of our favourite treats—chocolate.The potential hazards to humans of eating too much chocolateare well known (obesity and dental caries to name but two),but you may be unaware that chocolate is potentially lethalto dogs.

Chocolate is derived from the roasted seeds of the plant Theobromacacao, and the main toxic components are the methylxanthinealkaloids theobromine and caffeine. Humans can easily digestand excrete methylxanthines, the half life of theobromine being2-3 hours. However absorption in dogs is slow, with metabolismin the liver and extrahepatic recirculation before excretionin the urine. The half life of theobromine in dogs is about18 hours.

Theobromine primarily affects the central nervous system, cardiovascularsystem, and respiratory system, as well as having a diureticeffect. The first signs of poisoning in dogs include . . . [Full text of this article]

Fiona Finlay, consultant community paediatrician, Simon Guiton, veterinary surgeon

Child Health Department, Bath NHS House, Bath (fiona.finlay@banes-pct.nhs.uk), 12 Raby Place, Bath