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→Animals: "small dog" & "average dog" is meaningless. I've added some scientific numbers from here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324174220_Intoxication_by_theobromine_in_dogs_A_review |
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===Animals===
Theobromine is the reason chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Dogs and other animals that [[metabolize]] theobromine (found in chocolate) more slowly<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/toxicology/food_hazards/chocolate.html|title=Chocolate – Toxicology – Merck Veterinary Manual|access-date=23 December 2017|archive-date=12 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712005049/http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/toxicology/food_hazards/chocolate.html|url-status=live}}</ref> can succumb to theobromine poisoning from as little as {{convert|50|g|oz}} of [[milk chocolate]] for a smaller dog and {{convert|400|g|oz}}, or around nine {{Convert|1.55|oz|order = flip|adj = on}} small milk chocolate bars, for an average-sized dog. The concentration of theobromine in dark chocolates (approximately {{Convert|10|g/kg|abbr = on}}) is up to 10 times that of milk chocolate ({{Convert|1|to|5|g/kg|abbr = on}}) – meaning dark chocolate is far more toxic to dogs per unit weight or volume than milk chocolate. The lethal dose of theobromine for dogs is 100-500mg/kg, therefore, a 10kg dog would need to consume a minimum of 200g of the most theobromine-rich (5g per kg) milk chocolate, or a maximum of 1kg (of theobromine-rich milk chocolate), to meet the lethal dose.
The same risk is reported for cats as well,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/m-toxbrief_0201_0.pdf|title=Chocolate intoxication| vauthors = Gwaltney-Brant S |website=Aspcapro.org|access-date=23 December 2017|archive-date=8 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208145634/http://aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/m-toxbrief_0201_0.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> although cats are less likely to ingest sweet food, as cats lack [[Sweetness#The sweetness receptor|sweet taste receptors]].<ref name=wired>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/02/the-poisonous-nature-of-chocolate/|title=The Poisonous Chemistry of Chocolate|date=14 February 2013|magazine=WIRED|access-date=12 March 2017|archive-date=8 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208145832/https://www.wired.com/2013/02/the-poisonous-nature-of-chocolate/|url-status=live}}</ref> Complications include digestive issues, dehydration, excitability, and a slow heart rate. Later stages of theobromine poisoning include [[epilepsy|epileptic]]-like [[seizure]]s and death. If caught early on, theobromine poisoning is treatable.<ref name="healthwatchcanines">{{Cite news | title=HEALTH WATCH: How to Avoid a Canine Chocolate Catastrophe! | newspaper=The News Letter | location=Belfast, Northern Ireland | date=2005-03-01}}</ref> Although not common, the effects of theobromine poisoning can be fatal.
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