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Topic: dogs and coffee/chocolate (13 msgs / 358 lines)
1) From: Jeffrey Wikstrom
On Friday, February 15, 2002, at 06:16 , Ed Needham wrote:
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Hi Ed,
It is true that dogs should not ever, ever eat onions or chocolate the
caffeine I don't know about.  My two year old German Shepherd Dog once
grabbed a green coffee bean that I had just shelled and she swallowed it
and showed no reaction at all.  However she is boisterous enough so I do
not want to tempt fate by doing any experiments with too many coffee
beans.  She loves cat nip and steals our two cats cat nip toys all the
time.
Wendy
Wendy Austin & Thomas Oswin
Coastal Road, Pomponette Beach
Mauritius Island
Tel/ans/fax 230 6257399
Mobile 230 2560182
Hi Guys,
Hope not to break your hearts, but while I was living in Nicaragua, I found
that almost everybody fed their dogs chocolate.  It was there own old wives
tale that said that chocolate would make them meaner and thus a better watch
dog.  I always believed that chocolate would kill a dog too, but haven't
seen it happen yet.  I imagine that chocolate in a high enough amount would
kill one of us!
Jeff
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2) From: Robert Norton
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found
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wives
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would
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You don't seem to have a clue about this. Chocolate will definitely kill
dogs. There is a wealth of info in the veterinary journals about this. The
amount varies from dog to dog, breed or size don't seem to be a factor in
determining the critical dosage. Once the threshold is crossed it's a
painful death or an extremely expensive course of treatments that may or
may not work.
50 lb dogs have been known to be fatally poisoned by as little as two oz.
of chocolate.
I know idiots that feed gunpowder to their dogs to make them mean, too. All
it does is destroy brain, liver and kidney tissue.
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3) From: Wendy Austin & Thomas Oswin
On Monday, February 18, 2002, at 06:48 , Jeffrey Wikstrom wrote:
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Jeff,
I believe it has to do with the amount they are given - too much and it =
is toxic to them.  Which is enough for a dog lover like me, to not allow =
even the smallest amount past my dog's lips.  Certainly not an urban 
myth, check any pet care site you care to name and it will be confirmed =
there.  Battersea Dogs Home in England made mention of how bad chocolate =
is to dogs on one of their recent programmes.
Just because some people in some countries feed their dogs a certain 
type of food, doesn't mean it is okay for them.  Here Mauritians feed 
their dogs on mostly plain white rice - the dogs survive.......just.
Wendy
 Wendy Austin & Thomas Oswin
Coastal Road, Pomponette Beach
Mauritius Island
Tel/ans/fax 230 6257399
Mobile 230 2560182
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4) From: John - wandering Texas

5) From: John - wandering Texas
Wendy et al,
    Chocolate has a laxative effect on many animals including humans.  My
older sister can pack away a ton of chocolate (a certified chocoholic) with
no problem, while 8 oz. of pure chocolate has some effect on my wife. My 88
year old mother consumed about a pound of Godiva Chocolate on Christmas and
almost wound up in the hospital.  I used to breed Cocker Spaniels (Sir
Dennis the
Menace - grand champ was one of mine) and I can tell you that a very small
amount would make my dogs mess up the place quickly. The dogs don't seem to
understand (they will drink antifreeze which kills them) it was what caused
it and will go right after more of it.
    My neighbor winters here with a cat that drinks coffee - to no ill
effect over the past 8 years. But there is no way I would have let any
animal have any (except the human type).
John - trying to pick a new espresso machine (super or manual?)

6) From: Cuchulain Libby
From: "Gary Zimmerman" 
Subject: OT: Re: +dogs and coffee/chocolate
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their
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I'm thinking that the Nic chocolate was off a different butterfat-level or
something processing related...
-Hound
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7) From: Steven Dover

8) From: Richard Estes
I have a 5 1/2 pound Yorkie. When I got home from work yesterday, I found a
package wrapper in the floor under the table. It was from a 2.5 oz. Belgium
chocolate package that my daughter had left on the floor. My Yorkie had
snagged it and eaten the whole package.
There have been NO observable ill effects to this point. ?????
Richard Estes
Bellingham, WA USA
richardhttp://www.richardestes.info/index/<Snip>
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9) From: JKG
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heard
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fairly
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onions.
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Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.  Different
kinds of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine.
I've got a 15 pound Toto dog and a chocolate lovin',
slippery-fingered daughter,so we're pretty careful about
chocolate.
Here are a few links for people interested.http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_211.htmlRoasted the first scoops of a 5 lb bag of Ghimbi this week.">http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa090301a.htmhttp://www.urbanlegends.com/animals/chocolate_and_dogs.htmlhttp://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_211.htmlRoasted the first scoops of a 5 lb bag of Ghimbi this week.
Incredible amount of chaff production during the roast.
Terrific chocolate flavors in the cup.
JKG
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10) From: Henry C. Davis
A chemical similar to caffeine, theobromine, is the key. For those who do
wish to discuss it off list, check this link:http://www.idir.net/~wolf2dog/chocolate.htmFor those who want the discussion to go offlist, consider that the question
still remains, is caffeine also toxic to dogs or not?
That said, I think it safe to say that the occasional stray bean would be
unable to kill or seriously hurt a dog unless it is a very SMALL dog, or the
dog chokes on it. Personally, I try to keep mine where I can get the coffee
and not the dogs. I guess, having said that, I will now go down to make a
pot and promptly try to put the beans in the grinder with the lid still
on.... :0)

11) From: Bob Norton
Your dog probably got about half the lethal dose for its weight. Do a
Google search on the terms dog, poison and chocolate. Read and learn. 
Your dog will be recycling the theobromine from its liver to its
bloodstream for a week, continually repoisoning itself. Watch out for the
symptoms.
****************************************
On 2/18/02Richard Estes wrote:
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Belgium
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12) From: Paul Furuta

I believe that that the poisonous component in chocolate is theobromine.Theobromine is the principal alkaloid of the cacao bean (Merck index, 12 ed.). Theobromine, theophylline(found in tea), and caffeine are similar compounds, but not the same (all are xanthines; caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, theobromine and theophylline are missing a methyl group at the 1 or 7 position, respectively). Many will consider all caffeine, but theobromine and theophylline have less stimulant effects(and are smooth muscle relaxants) than caffeine. Tea contains all three, and this is why tea doesn't give quite the kick of coffee (which contains only caffeine) IMO (but will give as much, or even more of the "caffeine" withdrawal headaches).

My guess is that dogs strongly react with theobromine, and less so with caffeine. I also imagine that chocolate contains differing amounts of theobromine depending on how it is processed (and how much cacao it has, some having very little).

Paul

> > That's a fascinating disparity.  I wonder how to reconcile the two.  Maybe > the Nicaraguans didn't feed their dogs that much chocolate?  Maybe Jeff > didn't hang around long enough to see the dogs die or become ill?  Dunno, > but I know I've heard before many times that chocolate is toxic to dogs, > and not just from this list. > -- garyZ >I'm thinking that the Nic chocolate was off a different butterfat-level or >something processing related... >-Hound >@satx.rr.com


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13) From: Mark Storkamp
On Monday 18 February 2002 05:31 pm, you wrote:
<Snip>
I was trying to stay out of this, but I feel compelled to make this one 
comment before returning to lurk mode.
I saw a video once where a skydiver's parachute fouled, he plumeted to earth 
and lived. Does that prove parachutes are not needed for skydiving ?????
Anecdotes may be fun to tell, but they don't constitute proof. Chocolate is a 
deadly poison to dogs. Small enough amounts of strychnine are not lethal, 
either. That alone is not enough to compel me to try greater and greater 
amounts.
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