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“Sugar-free” chocolate: call, don’t calculate
Products sweetened with xylitol (“sugar-free” chocolates and gums) are dangerous at very small doses, regardless of the cocoa. If the label mentions xylitol, call immediately.
Hôpital Vétérinaire Métro Iberville · Free tool
My dog ate chocolate
The risk depends on three things: the type of chocolate, your dog’s weight and the amount swallowed. This calculator uses the same formula as our internal clinical tool and tells you what to do, level by level.
They ate a lot, or already show signs?
Don’t wait for the calculation: vomiting, tremors, unusual restlessness or seizures = call right away.
The calculator
Three questions, one risk level
Dogs only
Reference points: single bar ≈ 40–50 g · large bar ≈ 100 g · baking square ≈ 28 g (1 oz). The exact weight is on the wrapper.
Three answers are enough
Enter the type of chocolate, your dog’s weight and the amount eaten: the risk level appears here. If you’re unsure about the amount, assume the higher one.
Important
What the calculator can’t see
Brownies, trail mix, boxes of chocolates
Raisins, macadamia nuts and coffee have their own toxicity that this calculation ignores. Tell us everything that was in it.
Swallowed wrappers
Foil and plastic wrap can cause an obstruction, especially in small dogs. Mention it when you call.
Cats
Chocolate is toxic to cats too, and this tool is not calibrated for them. A cat that ate chocolate: call us directly.
Your questions
What we hear on the phone
They seem perfectly normal. Is that a good sign?
Not yet. Signs often appear 6 to 12 hours after ingestion (sometimes 2 to 24 hours) and can last 12 to 36 hours. A dog that looks fine one hour after eating chocolate is not out of the woods: trust the calculated dose, not how they look.
Can I make them vomit myself?
No, not without veterinary advice. Hydrogen peroxide can cause stomach burns and aspiration pneumonia. Call first: if vomiting is indicated, it will be induced safely, and the useful window is short, so call quickly.
The calculator says “negligible risk”. Now what?
Watch your dog for 24 hours: appetite, stools, restlessness, tremors. If a sign appears, if the real amount is uncertain, or if your dog is very small, senior or has a heart condition, call us anyway: some dogs react below the usual thresholds.
Is white chocolate dangerous?
It contains almost no theobromine, so methylxanthine poisoning is very unlikely. A large amount of fat and sugar can still cause digestive upset. When in doubt, call.
What about my cat?
Chocolate is toxic to cats too. They rarely eat it, but this tool is not calibrated for them: if it happened, call us directly.
When in doubt, we’re here.
During business hours, call us: for a daytime emergency, press 0. Outside our hours, the emergency page guides you to 24-hour centres.