# Birds and chocolate



## Reti

I heard somebody saying he's was feeding his parrot M&M's with peanuts. This person is an expert in birds.
I thought chocolate is not good for birds or other animals.
Any thoughts are appreciated.

Reti


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## Pidgey

I've heard that it can kill dogs for years and I've heard many people say that their dogs have gobbled dropped chocolate candy bars and never seemed the worse for wear. I've never had anyone tell me their dog died by eating chocolate, come to think of it. I'd bet that it'd have to be the right amount or the right individual with the right problem. You don't give a child an aspirin these days because of the risk of Reye's Syndrome but I managed to make adulthood without getting it and so did most. Rules like that often exist because of the few who do.

Pidgey


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## Reti

Thanks Pidgey, 
I guess we tend to be overcautious nowadays. If I think of it, I am sure I gave my dogs chocoalte here and there (when they were begging) and they were fine.

Reti


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## Pidgey

Oh, I'd still avoid giving chocolate to animals. I think it's still a good idea to keep them on a good, healthy diet and leave all the sinful delights to us.

Hehe!

Pidgey


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## Pikachu23739

Reti said:


> I heard somebody saying he's was feeding his parrot M&M's with peanuts. This person is an expert in birds.
> I thought chocolate is not good for birds or other animals.
> Any thoughts are appreciated.
> 
> Reti


*I thought it wasn't good for them too*


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## maryco

I wouldn't give it to my birds, but I remember feeding chocolate to our cat (I didn't know better) and she seemed fine, maybe it contained smaller amounts of real chocolate and that's why she was ok, our parrot also ate some but I would NEVER suggest for anyone to feed it to their birds!


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## Keys & Eyegone

Chocolate isn't good for many animals (ie:dogs) it wont kill them right away; there is something in it that they can't excreat from their body, so it builds up and up to toxic levels killing the animal.
This is also a good time to say I'm not going to be on for atleast 2 weeks because my exams are next week and we've been getting A LOT of homework and last minute cramping.
Hilary Dawn


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## Reti

Thanks for your reponses.

Hilary, best of luck with your exams.

Reti


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## Mistifire

Chocolate is toxic, but we have built up an imunity to it, small ammounts wont kill, but it is definately not good for them. It also has alot of sugar and is bad for them the same reasons it is bad for us in large ammounts.

Dogs and cats probably have built more of an imunity than birds have since there more domesticated. I wouldnt recomend chocolate for any animal except very very small amounts as a treat.

*edit* I was working on this at work and posted it when I finished it, it was pretty much answered by everyone else.

Good luck in your exams


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## Reti

Thanks Mistifire,
makes sense. I wouldn't give any of my pets chocolate, there enough treats out there which they enjoy.

Reti


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## jazaroo

Chocolate is a big no-no in general for pets, it contains theobromine an alkaloid that can be toxic, but especially for birds. 

We were strictly warned by one of our birds breeders no chocolate of any kind EVER, as well as no avocado, rhubarb leaves, caffeine, alcohol or fruit pits. This was later backed-up by our avian vet at a routine checkup.


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## Skyeking

Thank you for verifying that jazaroo.

While the benefits of dark chocolate have come to light, in regard to its antioxident ingredients for human consumption, it is still not something to eat as a part of a regular diet, and in no way should it be given to our feathered friends.


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## Libis

I know this is an old post, but thought it should be added that I have known people who's dogs have been affected by chocolate. Our neighbor's puppy got into a can of cocoa and died from it. 

I just don't want anyone to think it is a myth that dogs can't have chocolate.


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## ptras

When I was young, we had a beagleXmutt mix puppy. At night, we would put the puppy into the basement so it couldn't roam (and poop) in the house. When the puppy was around five months old, it got at the Christmas tree that we had set up in the playroom in the basement. That tree had been decorated with three boxes (2 lbs. each) of foil-wrapped chocolate ornaments. The puppy knocked the tree over, and ate every single one of those ornaments - foil and all.

When we got up in the morning, the puppy had eaten so much chocolate, that its belly was distended (he ate 6 lbs. of chocolate!) We didn't know that chocolate was supposed to be bad for dogs at that time, so we just put the tree back up, and decorated it again. All the while we were doing that, the puppy followed us around, begging for more chocolate, which we gave him. (My younger brother was seven at the time, and I remember him saying we had to stop giving Trapper chocolate, or he would explode!)

Long story short - Trapper went on to a long and fulfilling life. The worst outcome of his "chocolate experience" was that he kept pooping pieces of foil for the next week (it was very colorful!)

I'm not suggesting that it is good to give your pets chocolate, but I wouldn't be rushing my pets off to the vet for a $60.00 urgent care visit if any of them accidentally ingested some chocolate.


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## John_D

It would seem that dogs actually have a certain tolerance to (some) chocolate (as far as the chemical below is concerned), though I guess it's not a good habit for them to get into. With birds, it has to be a 'no-no'.

From http://dogs.about.com/od/dogandpuppyhealth/tp/toxicfood.htm



> * Chocolate and cocoa contain a chemical called theobromide that can adversely affect the heart, lungs, kidney and central nervous system.
> 
> * Pure baking chocolate is most toxic, while milk chocolate requires a higher quantity to cause harm. *A 20 pound dog can be poisoned after consuming about 2 ounces of baking chocolate, but it would take nearly 20 ounces of milk chocolate to cause harm*. Ingestion of cacao bean mulch can also be toxic.
> 
> * Signs include excitement, tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rate/rhythm, drunken gait, hyperthermia and coma.
> 
> * Your vet may induce vomiting or perform gastric lavage. Treatment includes administration of activated charcoal and aggressive supportive care with fluid therapy and medications.


(But see also caffeine on same page)


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## Quazar

John_D said:


> It would seem that dogs actually have a certain tolerance to (some) chocolate (as far as the chemical below is concerned), though I guess it's not a good habit for them to get into.


Normal human chocolate should not be fed to dogs in any amount for any reason, even if the dog seems tolerant to it.
The slightest amount of plain, milk or white chocolate can bring out diabetes in dogs.
Do not even use the human grade of "diabetic chocolate".

They do however produce "chocolate doggy treats" which have been specially formulated and has the nasty ingredients and toxins removed.


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## John_D

Make sense - safety first. Have to say I was surprised to find that extract, as I'd always thought it was bad for pretty much any pets.


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