Chocolate Poisoning in Cats

Chocolate is a favorite treat for humans, but did you know that it's extremely dangerous for cats? Chocolate poisoning is a serious concern and can cause irregular heart beats and even death, so it's essential to ensure that your fur-baby doesn't ingest any chocolate.

But why is chocolate toxic to cats? It's all down to caffeine and theobromine; two compounds chocolate contains that cats are unable to metabolize efficiently. The resulting toxicity can lead to symptoms ranging from vomiting and restlessness to an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and seizures.

With this in mind, it's important to seek urgent veterinary attention if your dog consumes any chocolate.

Chocolate is highly toxic, so even consuming a relatively small amount can result in signs of poisoning. You may notice your cat displaying symptoms of chocolate poisoning within 2 hours of ingestion. These symptoms could include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Hyperactivity
• Restlessness
  
• Rapid breathing
• Increased thirst and urination
• Tremors
• Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Elevated blood pressure
• Seizures
• Collapse
• Death

Chocolate poisoning is an extremely dangerous condition, so it's essential to seek urgent veterinary attention if your cat consumes any chocolate.

Ingestion is the main cause of chocolate poisoning in cats, so be sure to keep any food or other items containing chocolate or cocoa beans away from your cat. Your cat may suffer from chocolate poisoning after consuming the following items:

• Baking chocolate
• Dark chocolate
• Milk chocolate
• Baked goods
• Cocoa powder
• Chocolate-covered coffee beans
• Chocolate-flavored multi-vitamins
• Cocoa bean mulch 

Chocolate is toxic to cats due to the presence of 2 methylxanthines, theobromine and caffeine. These compounds aren't metabolized efficiently by cats, but are instead absorbed from the gut and spread throughout your pet's body.

Both caffeine and theobromine have an LD50 (dose that would kill 50% of animals) of 100-200mg per kilogram of body weight. However, the theobromine and caffeine content varies between different types of chocolate, as chocolate with a higher cocoa content has a higher concentration of these toxic compounds.

For example, according to the MSD Veterinary Manual, baker's chocolate has a methylxanthine content of ~450 mg/oz (16 mg/g), so your pet only needs to consume a very small amount to start showing signs of toxicity. In comparison, milk chocolate has a significantly lower methylxanthine concentration of ~64 mg/oz (2.3 mg/g), while white chocolate only has a very small amount.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that chocolate is just as toxic to dogs as it is to cats. However, unlike their canine counterparts, cats are less likely to eat things they shouldn't, so cases of chocolate poisoning are much rarer in cats than in dogs.

If you suspect that your cat has eaten chocolate, contact your veterinarian immediately with the cat’s weight and the amount of chocolate consumed. You should also figure out if the chocolate contained other ingredients that are toxic to cats, such as raisins and macadamia nuts.

In most cases, a visit to the vet clinic or veterinary hospital will likely be required. The vet will give your pet a full physical exam, perform blood and urine tests, and may also perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check for an elevated heart rate and abnormal heart rhythm.

The type of treatment your pet will receive depends on the size of your cat, how much chocolate they consumed, and how long ago ingestion occurred. Your cat may receive the following treatments for chocolate poisoning:

• Inducing vomiting: Your veterinarian may induce vomiting if your cat has ingested the chocolate within the last four hours. This is done to remove the particles that are still in their stomach.
• Activated charcoal: Your cat may be given activated charcoal to prevent them absorbing any more chocolate. The activated charcoal is a liquid that is given to your cat by mouth.
• Medication: Your veterinarian may give your cat medication to control the muscle tremors and seizures caused by chocolate poisoning. Your cat may also need medication to regulate their heart and breathing.
• Ventilator: A ventilator may be necessary to help stabilize your pet's breathing. Your cat will be sedated during this treatment.
• Hospitalization: Your cat may need to be hospitalized for several days to undergo treatment, if the toxicity is severe. During their hospital stay, your cat will receive intravenous fluids to help remove the chemicals from their body, and cardiac monitoring to keep track of their heart rate and rhythm. Your veterinarian may also have to administer a urinary catheter to ensure that your cat's bladder remains empty. This keeps the caffeine from being reabsorbed by their bladder wall.

Follow-up appointments are necessary to make sure your cat is recovering from chocolate poisoning. You may have to take your cat to the litter box frequently to ensure they are emptying their bladder.

It may take your cat several days to recover from the effects of chocolate poisoning. Unfortunately, however, not all pets survive. This is why it's important to take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as symptoms appear. It's also vital that you keep all types of chocolate away from your cat, including candy wrappers and baked goods.

Chocolate poisoning can be expensive to treat. If you suspect your cat is at risk of chocolate poisoning, start searching for pet insurance today. Wag!’s pet insurance comparison tool lets you compare plans from leading companies like PetPlan and Embrace. Find the “pawfect” plan for your pet in just a few clicks!