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Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
Written By Wag! Staff
Published: 08/18/2016Updated: 09/23/2024
Veterinary reviewed by Dr. Linda Simon, MVB MRCVS
What is Chocolate Poisoning?
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.
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Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
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.
Causes of Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
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.
Diagnosis of Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
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.
Treatment of Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
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.
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Recovery of Chocolate Poisoning in Cats
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!
Chocolate Poisoning Average Cost
From 399 quotes ranging from $200 - $1,500
Average Cost
$500
Top
Chocolate Poisoning Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
MainCoon/Bengal
Klaus
1 Year
9 found this helpful
9 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Dyspnea, Lethargy, Fever
I noticed around 11:00 pm my cat has becoming dyspnec and progressed rapidly to the point of mouth breathing. Within 30-35 minutes he was gone. He had no therapy sx except twice he cried out. No foaming at the mouth or diarrhea. He did have a warm dry nose so I think he became fevered during this rapid and out of the blue decline and death.I did not witness but know my son was eating Reese cups so I wondered-He was completely healthy until last night and it came on so suddenly from nowhere and as my husband was en-route to vet hospital Klaus passed away. could he have gotten into some chocolate? Poisoning is the only thing I can imagine that could possible acted this fast to a young cat. He had eaten his normal food today, drank water as usual. I have other cat outside and an indoor Maltipoo and am now terrified it could be a poisoning of some sort. Can you give me any ideas as to what could have happened?
Aug. 20, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
9 Recommendations
Chocolate would not have caused those signs. If he was outside, a poisoning is possible, but heartworm disease or asthma can cause those signs as well in cats. I'm sorry for your loss.
Aug. 20, 2018
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tabby
Yasha
3 Days
4 found this helpful
4 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
None
It's been at least 12 hours since I found mini chips ahoy cookies on my floor from my trash and I don't know if my cat ate any what should I do since I have no vet open until Monday.
June 23, 2018
4 Recommendations
With products like cookies, it is always difficult to determine how much chocolate has actually been consumed. If there is no Veterinarian open until Monday, you should give activated charcoal to Yasha every eight to twelve hours since the toxins will undergo enterohepatic recirculation and monitor for symptoms from this page; two hours or more after ingestion, it is not productive or logical to induce vomiting. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/food-hazards/chocolate
http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/chocolate-proceedings
June 24, 2018
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Chocolate Poisoning Average Cost
From 399 quotes ranging from $200 - $1,500
Average Cost
$500
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