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Theobromine
Methylxanthine (cocoa alkaloid). Toxic doses for dog, cat from published sources; they are not treatment doses.
Toxic doses
Single acute ingestion, mg of the substance per kg of body weight. These are toxic doses, not treatment doses.
| Species | Signs begin | Severe | Deaths reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | from 20 mg/kg | from 40 mg/kg | from 100 mg/kg |
MSD Vet Manual: chocolate · FDA: chocolate +2
High confidence
Thresholds agree; the lethal dose differs between sources (LD50 100-200 or 250-500 mg/kg), the lower figure is shown. Reference book A veterinary reference written and reviewed by specialists, summarising accepted practice. The product label gives the authorised dose. MSD Veterinary Manual, Professional version, reviewed Sep 2024, 2024 20 mild, 40-50 cardiotoxic, 60 seizures, LD50 100-200; content per gram Guideline or consensus statement Recommendations agreed by a panel of veterinary specialists after reviewing the evidence. They guide practice and do not authorise a product. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Animal health literacy mild from about 20, severe from about 40 Scientific article A study or review published in a scientific journal. Its findings apply to the animals and conditions it studied. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, Interdiscip Toxicol 2009;2(3):169-176, 2009 LD50 250-500; content per gram Scientific article A study or review published in a scientific journal. Its findings apply to the animals and conditions it studied. Journal of Small Animal Practice, JSAP 2021;62(11):979-983, 2021 156 events: most without signs, low mortality |
| Cat | not established | not established | not established |
Kovalkovičová et al. 2009 · Li et al. 2005
Low confidence
No feline dose study; dog thresholds are applied. Scientific article A study or review published in a scientific journal. Its findings apply to the animals and conditions it studied. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, Interdiscip Toxicol 2009;2(3):169-176, 2009 theobromine LD50 about 200 mg/kg in cats (origin not traced) Scientific article A study or review published in a scientific journal. Its findings apply to the animals and conditions it studied. PLoS Genetics, PLoS Genet 2005;1(1):e3, 2005 cats cannot taste sweetness |
Dog
Signs: Vomiting, diarrhoea, thirst and frequent urination, restlessness, fast or irregular heartbeat, tremors, seizures (from about 60 mg/kg), raised temperature, panting; possible pancreatitis.
Doses are theobromine and caffeine together. Content per gram: milk chocolate about 2.3 mg, dark 5-8 mg, baking chocolate 13-16 mg, cocoa powder 20-28 mg, white chocolate almost none. Signs start at 6-12 hours and last long (theobromine half-life in dogs about 17.5 hours).
Cat
Signs: As in dogs: vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness, fast heartbeat, tremors, seizures.
No feline dose study exists; dog thresholds are applied (one review gives a theobromine LD50 of about 200 mg/kg). Cats rarely eat chocolate because they cannot taste sweetness.
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