Why can't dogs eat chocolate?

I'm askin you guys this simply because I'm too lazy to search the net.

Chocolate is bad for dogs - in fact, veterinarians consider it poison. Chocolate contains theobromine, a central nervous system stimulant that may cause seizures, excessive urination (leading to dehydration), and heart damage.

The half-life of theobromine is approximately 17.5 hours. If your dogs ate the cookie several weeks ago, they have entirely eliminated the toxin from their bodies by now and should be fine. Be careful not to let them have more, though. Dogs can develop a craving for chocolate, just like humans.

According to Talk to the Vet, the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. Milk chocolate is less toxic than dark chocolate, which is less toxic than baker's chocolate.

Talk to the Vet (see Related Links) suggests the following formula for calculating overdose:

1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate

Symptoms of chocolate toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, twitching, and seizing. This is considered a veterinary emergency requiring prompt, supportive care.

Kay Thanks TMS.

Even tho it's summed up by TMS above, just wana add

Dogs are not humans, what humans can eat, don't assume a dog can too. It's not like their digestive system is the same as us.

You can't let dogs and cats drink dairy cow's milk too, because they don't have the proper enzymes to break down lactose, and can cause diarrhea.

A simple "Because they would die." would of sufficed...

Aside from the theobromine, there is also the factor of caffeine. Animals have a much lower tolerance for caffeine that what humans can tolerate, which many people neglect to realize. I mean if someone fed us the same percentage of caffeine per our weight it would kill us too. *shrugs*

Onions are bad for dogs too. bones(especialy chicken) break into shards and can puncture their intestines.

This doesn't just go for only dogs btw. Many other animals have similar problems with chocolate. I know for a fact it's very dangerous to let birds eat it.

Of course if you think about it chocolate isn't really very good for us either, just a lot less bad.

Since dogs can't eat the food we eat it raises a question in my mind.
Can humans eat dog food?

Any volunteers will get a +rep and i need a vid to validate that they ate it.

yes. but i dont think it will be quite tasty, dogs and humans don't have same taste for food

Human food is not doggie food. ^^

I've eaten dry dog food before. it tastes like meaty crackers. kind of greasy and a bit gritty. i prefer dog biscuits, like milkbone brand. much less greasy, but very dry. like very stale wheat bread with a meaty after taste.

this was along time ago when i was just an innocent curious child. i might try another biscuit, but no more food.

TMS is a pimp. That is all.

Being an omnivore feels good man.

no wonder my dog is gone wierd and died
the last food he was eating is chocolate...

Cats should be genetically engineered to die from soda.

This way, cats and dogs are even again.

I think I fed my dog a chocolate recently and it lives.

:|

Me too. When I was a kid I was pissed at my dog for eating the back-weapon of my Dino Phalanx so I "accidentaly" fed him chocolate. It lived. But maybe because its of mixed breed.

And hamsters should die from pop rocks