My Dog Ate Hot Chocolate Powder : (7 Important Facts)

It can be quite alarming to realize that your dog has eaten hot chocolate powder. Once you make this realization, you may want to know whether the dog will be okay, and what you need to do in the circumstances. Read on, for answers.

What is likely to happen if my dog ate hot chocolate powder? The dog may become very ill. That is because hot chocolate powder comes from cocoa, which contains a substance called theobromine that is very toxic to dogs. But much also depends on the type and amount of hot chocolate powder the dog ate.

If yours is a very big dog, and it had only very little hot chocolate powder, it may escape without much harm. But if yours is a rather small dog, and it ate lots of hot chocolate powder, then the consequences may be very dire.

The purity of the chocolate powder the dog ate is also a key factor. The purer forms of chocolate powder are usually more harmful. They are more harmful than the forms of chocolate powder that have lots of other ingredients added.

Thus for instance, if the dog ate cocoa powder (in its purest form) there would likely be more harm. But even though chocolate powder is one of the less pure forms of cocoa, it still contains enough theobromine to harm a dog.

For a dog hot chocolate powder toxicity depends on so many factors.

All in all though, if my dog ate hot chocolate powder, I would take the dog to a vet. Or at least call the pet poison line. Hot chocolate powder poisoning can be rather serious in dogs.

Can Dogs Eat Hot Chocolate Powder?

In a case where my dog ate hot chocolate powder, my first priority would be to know whether the hot chocolate powder is okay for dogs.

And that is what leads to this question: can dogs eat hot chocolate powder? The answer to that question is a straight ‘no’.

Dogs can’t eat hot chocolate powder. Or to be more accurate, dogs shouldn’t eat hot chocolate powder.

Of course, if a dog happens to come across hot chocolate powder, it may go ahead and lick it. So dogs have the ability to eat hot chocolate powder. But it is extremely dangerous to them. That is why they shouldn’t eat it.

One may opt to take it further and ask, can dogs drink hot chocolate? And the answer would still be ‘no’. They shouldn’t. Can dogs have hot chocolate mix then? The answer is still ‘no – they shouldn’t’.

But you will often hear someone saying, “my dog drank hot chocolate from the sink”. Or “my dog drank a mug of hot chocolate”.

This means that the dogs have the ability to drink the hot chocolate. The problem is in that the chocolate drink, just like the hot chocolate powder, is not good for them.

Now hot chocolate powder has the same main ingredient as cocoa powder. Thus, the answer to the can dogs have cocoa powder (or can dogs eat cocoa powder) is ‘no’.

They can’t, because both hot chocolate powder and cocoa powder can be very harmful to a dog.

Why Is Hot Chocolate Powder Bad For Dogs?

Hot chocolate powder is bad for dogs because it can make them ill.

Hot chocolate powder is mainly made from cocoa. And cocoa contains a substance called theobromine. This substance is very toxic to dogs.

When a dog eats hot chocolate powder, it ends up getting theobromine into its body. That in turn leads to theobromine poisoning.

Consequences of such poisoning range from diarrhea to vomiting, restlessness, more urination, faster heart rates, seizures and sometimes death.

Thus if my dog ate hot chocolate powder, my biggest concern would be on the potential theobromine poisoning.

How Much Hot Chocolate Powder Is Bad For A Dog?

In a situation where my dog ate hot chocolate powder, I would have great interest in knowing how much of the hot chocolate is bad for a dog.

For instance, if my 90 lb Lab just ate some Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix (say 20 grams of it), the question would be on whether that is enough to harm the dog.

So how much hot chocolate powder is bad for a dog? The answer is that it depends on the type of hot chocolate in question.

For instance, if it is dark chocolate, 0.3 ounce of it per 1 pound of dog weight is enough to cause harm.

Thus if yours is a 90 lb Lab, and it eats 27 ounces of dark chocolate, that is enough to cause harm.

The purer the form of hot chocolate powder, the less of it is necessary to cause harm.

Thus if the question was, how much cocoa powder will harm a dog, the figure may be even lower.

That is because cocoa powder (rather than chocolate powder) is purer, and hence has more theobromine.

For that reason, the answer to the how much cocoa powder is bad for dogs question may be a lower figure. It may be lower than the figure for hot chocolate powder.

Suppose we go further and ask, how much cocoa powder can kill a dog? Even here, the figure will usually be lower than that for hot chocolate.

Consequently if, for instance, my dog licked cocoa powder it would be more worrisome than if the dog licked chocolate powder. It would even be more worrisome than if my dog ate Swiss Miss Chocolate mix.

The chocolate powder is harmful, and the cocoa powder is even more harmful.

Can Hot Chocolate Powder Kill A Dog?

Upon discovering that my dog ate hot chocolate powder, my biggest fear would be on whether the hot chocolate powder can kill the dog.

And the answer is that hot chocolate powder can indeed kill a dog.

If a dog eats a big enough amount of hot chocolate powder, it may die.

Remember, hot chocolate powder contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Therefore when a dog eats hot chocolate powder, it is at risk of theobromine poisoning, which can be fatal.

Thankfully, most of the hot chocolate dogs get to eat is not enough to kill them.

Nonetheless, if my dog ate chocolate powder, I would know that death is a sad possibility.

The amount of chocolate it takes to kill a dog depends on the purity of the chocolate. And the size of the dog.

For instance, if my puppy licked chocolate powder, I would be more concerned. And that is because of the puppy’s small size: which means that even a little chocolate powder can be lethal to it.

For a very small puppy hot chocolate can be very deadly even in small amounts.

Thus the answer to the will hot chocolate kill my dog question is ‘yes – hot chocolate can potentially kill a dog’. But whether it actually kills the dog depends on how much of it the dog takes, the dog’s size and the chocolate’s purity.

The possibility of death would be more real if, for instance, my dog ate a packet of hot cocoa.

Even if the dog ate hot cocoa mix, and he seems to have eaten lots of it, there would be real fear of death.

What Happens If My Dog Eats Hot Chocolate Powder?

Once I learn that my dog ate hot chocolate powder, another key thing I would be eager to know is what is likely to happen next.

That is also what would be the main concern, even if the dog ate hot chocolate bomb, or any other form of chocolate really.

Now earlier, in answering the is hot chocolate dangerous for dogs question, we saw that it is indeed hazardous. It is dangerous because it can make a dog ill.

Thus what may happen if a dog eats hot chocolate powder is that it may get ill.

This would be due to the compound we refer to as theobromine, which is abundant in hot chocolate powder. So the dog may suffer from theobromine poisoning.

The symptoms of theobromine poisoning may include vomiting and diarrhea. There may be blood in the vomit or diarrhea. Others are greater urination frequency, restlessness, and faster heart rates. There may also be seizures.

Therefore if my dog ate hot chocolate powder, those are the symptoms I would be on the lookout for.

By the way, these are also effectively the dog ate cocoa powder symptoms.

Thus whether my dog just ate hot chocolate powder, if the dog drank hot chocolate or if the dog got into cocoa powder, those would be the symptoms to look out for.

Hot cocoa for dogs usually causes symptoms similar to those for hot chocolate powder. But the symptoms in the case of cocoa powder ingestion may be worse.

If you are to research on why is cocoa powder bad for dogs, you would find that the reasons are similar to those for why hot chocolate powder is bad for dogs.

They are all matters to do with theobromine poisoning. That is why the symptoms are similar.

My Dog Ate Chocolate – How Long Before Symptoms?

If my dog ate hot chocolate powder, one of my key concerns would be on how long it may take before symptoms.

For instance, if my dog ate chocolate 24 hours ago, and there have been no symptoms, I would want to know whether the worst is over.

The truth of the matter is that it takes between 6 and 12 hours for symptoms of theobromine poisoning (from hot chocolate powder) to show in dogs.

Therefore if it has been more than 24 hours, the dog may have escaped unscathed. But there may also be some long-term damage…

This is also the timeline I would think of if my dog ate cocoa powder.

The cocoa powder dogs ingest (accidentally or otherwise) has the same main ingredient as hot chocolate powder.

Therefore how long it takes for hot chocolate powder poisoning symptoms to appear is similar to how long it takes for cocoa powder poisoning symptoms to appear in dogs.

My Dog Ate Hot Chocolate Powder – What To Do?

Upon discovering that my dog ate hot chocolate powder, my biggest interest would be in knowing what is the way forward.

That is what would lead to questions like, what should I do if my dog eats hot chocolate powder? Or, my dog just ate a packet of hot chocolate – what do I do?

Now what to do if your dog eats hot chocolate powder depends on the quantity of the powder eaten.

If it is just a little chocolate powder – less than 10 grams – the dog may escape unhurt. Or the dog may get only minor symptoms.

But if it is lots of hot chocolate powder the dog has eaten, then it is best to take the dog to a vet urgently. If that is not possible, at least call the pet poison hotline.

Remember, the hot chocolate powder can damage the dog’s kidney, liver, stomach and even heart. So it is a poison, like any other.

One may inquire about what to do if your dog eats chocolate home remedies. But considering the level of poisoning we may be dealing with, it is best not to think of such home remedies, and just take the dog to the vet.

Remember, there is really nothing like dog friendly hot chocolate powder. Therefore any case in which a dog eats hot chocolate powder should be reason for worry.

And that applies for cocoa powder as well. Cocoa powder and dogs are an unsuitable mix – just like chocolate powder and dogs.

Therefore if a dog eats more than just a few grams of hot chocolate powder, it is best to consult a vet. Or at least call the pet poison hotline.

Final Verdict – My Dog Ate Hot Chocolate Powder

If your dog ate hot chocolate powder, it may get ill. Hot chocolate powder contains a substance we refer to as theobromine, which is very toxic to dogs.

Symptoms of theobromine poisoning in dogs may include vomiting, diarrhea, more urination, restlessness, faster heart rates and seizures.

How much harm a dog suffers will depend on how much hot chocolate powder it eats, as well as the dog’s size and the chocolate powder’s purity.

Symptoms of theobromine poisoning may start appearing 6 to 12 hours after a dog eats hot chocolate powder.

Upon learning that a dog has eaten hot chocolate powder, it is best to take it to a vet. Or at least call the pet poison hotline.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet dog a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️