Chocolate

I am posting this as a seperate thread so people can read the science behind this and make an informed decision themselves. It is in no way a critisism of anyone.

"I would never give any of my animals Chocolate as most chocolate contains Theobromine.
Chemistry of Theobromine

An article that I copied from somewhere states (relating to animals in general ;

Chocolate contains theobromine (a compound similar to caffeine) which is poisonous to animals. A dose of 50 mg/lb can be fatal.

Milk chocolate contains 45 mg of theobromine per ounce and unsweetened baking
chocolate contains 400 mg per ounce. Just one ounce of unsweetened baking
chocolate can kill small animals.

Theobromine when ingested causes release of epinephrine (adrenaline) which causes the heart to race and serious cardiac arrhythmias to develop. Signs of chocolate poisoning in some include vomiting, diarrhea, excessive urination, hyperactivity followed by depression and coma, seizures, and death.

Emergency care for an animal ingesting chocolate includes inducing
vomiting (not in the case of a rabbit) and administration of charcoal to reduce absorption of the chocolate remaining in the stomach and intestines. Drugs to stabilize the heart are needed as well as intravenous fluids and drugs to prevent shock.

Mortality is high and care for these cases is intensive and expensive.

Owners should be prudent to prevent animals from finding and consuming
chocolate.

Theobromine is also present in cocoa beans, cola, and tea. If you suspect
your animal has ingested chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately.
With their instruction you may be able to induce vomiting greatly
increasing the odds of your pet surviving. Time is of the essence in these
cases - seek emergency care immediately if chocolate has been consumed.
Keep chocolate and other products containing theobromine out of reach from
your animals. Instruct children and visitors to not feed your pets
chocolate as a "treat". "

of course rabbits can't vomit, unlike dogs, cats and worst of all, babies ....shudder.


Dog specific chocolate drops are of course fine for dogs although I wouldn't feed any dog of mine empty calories like that, the white choc drops ones don't taste half bad though, I developed a taste for them years ago when I managed a pet shop ,I'd have to go hours without anything to eat so would nibble the white dog chocs, oh yes and Spillers Shapes :shock:

I don't think they did me much harm and I have a wonderful glossy coat.....

Thank you for posting that Jill, that makes horrific reading :shock: :shock: :? but those are the true facts :wink:

Adele said:

Thank you for posting that Jill, that makes horrific reading :shock: :shock: :? but those are the true facts :wink:

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I know Adele.... its almost put me of chocolate and thats saying something :wink: :shock:

FunnyBunnyRunny said:

I'd have to go hours without anything to eat so would nibble the white dog chocs, oh yes and Spillers Shapes :shock:

I don't think they did me much harm and I have a wonderful glossy coat.....

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:shock: :shock: :lol:

I developed a taste for dog biscuits when we used them at primary school in a weighing exercise - I hasten to add they were plain wheat ones not meaty!!!

Thanks a lot Jill - now what am I going to do with all my easter eggs ?!! You have put me right off eating them and I guess giving them to the bunnies is out of the question !

Caz

Caz said:

Thanks a lot Jill - now what am I going to do with all my easter eggs !! You have put me right off eating them and I guess giving them to the bunnies is out of the question !

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I'll PM you my address. No charge.

Andi said:

Caz said:

Thanks a lot Jill - now what am I going to do with all my easter eggs !! You have put me right off eating them and I guess giving them to the bunnies is out of the question !

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I'll PM you my address. No charge.

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You wish!! :twisted:

I have decided that nothing could put me off eating them - but I will be rationing my intake and putting them back in the cupboard for safety!

Caz

You have to admit that it was worth trying!

Toby what is going on?? I do not understand sorry?
Jill has just popped the facts on about chocolate and has made it clear that this is not aimed at you, please dont take it like that.

It is just interesting to research and read the facts, so folk can make their own choices.
No one is telling you or anyone else what you should/ should not be doing, nor being judgemental.
This forum is for education, and that is all we are doing here, please relax Toby, all is well.
In fact we should be thanking you for bringing the chocolate topic to our attention, as it has enabled a constructive debate.
Please dont worry about anything Toby :wink: You can always PM me and Tamsin if you have any concerns or need to chat

lovabun is just clarifying what we already know. If people come onto the forum looking for help and advice [as I did with my baby buns] they now know the facts.

Its not aimed at anyone and yes we all give into those beautiful bunny eyes. But some people may not realise what not to feed their bunny. I know lots of bunny owners who didn't realise lettuce was bad for their bunny [ I blame Beatrix potter]

Please don't take it personally Emma, no-one would want to hurt or offend you.

Betty

Thanks for posting that information Jill.

Not pleasant reading but its good to know the in’s and the outs of the Chocolate issue.

Louise

Adele, Betty and Lousie - exactly! Please can we keep emotions and personalities out of this issue so that the growing band of members can make an informed decision based on knowledge.

That is really interesting info Jill - came too late for me 'though as I had some smarties this afternoon

I think it is really good to know all these facts then anyone needing info or who is a bit confused will be able to make an informed decision based on scientific fact.

We all love our buns and by this sharing of info we can make informed choices as to what way we fell is the best way to keep our bunnies happy and healthy.

lol Pam

Please can we keep emotions and personalities out of this issue so that the growing band of members can make an informed decision based on knowledge.

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Okay I am going to be childish and say “Well my thread was ruined” :lol:

omg, I used to feed smokey those chocolate drops you get from pet shops. I won't bother now then. aww, she used to enjoy them .

omg, I used to feed smokey those chocolate drops you get from pet shops. I won't bother now then. aww, she used to enjoy them

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smokeys owner - You can still give your rabbit them. They really wouldn't sell them if they was harmful. If your rabbit likes them you can still feed your bun them "in moderation".

Can we please not let this chocolate thing get out of hand? I have heard of rabbits eating CURRY....now that’s stupid....not a few chocolate drops from a pet store that was made for small animals. Just because 1 or 2 rabbits with serious owners don't take to them does not mean they are bad. Complaining about human chocolate is one thing - but chocolate made for rabbits is another...

I really must clarify that chocolate "made for rabbits" is definitely harmful to them!!!

All of the milk, yoghurt and choc drops contain dairy products, which should NOT be fed to rabbits!

These products are sold to make money. End of story. They attract human attention, and most people who buy them in order to "treat" their bunnies genuinely don't realise how dangerous they are.

I don't think anyone should be encouraging people to feed them to their rabbits.

Wabbit said:

I really must clarify that chocolate "made for rabbits" is definitely harmful to them!!!

All of the milk, yoghurt and choc drops contain dairy products, which should NOT be fed to rabbits!

These products are sold to make money. End of story. They attract human attention, and most people who buy them in order to "treat" their bunnies genuinely don't realise how dangerous they are.

I don't think anyone should be encouraging people to feed them to their rabbits.

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I know someone who feeds their rabbit them all the time and it's currently 8 years old.

smokeys owner said:

I know someone who feeds their rabbit them all the time and it's currently 8 years old.

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My granddad drank a bottle of whisky every day for the last 20 years or so of his life and made it to 80. Doesn't mean it isn't bad for you...