Dog with a Sweet Tooth

What are Chocolate Lab puppies? Dogs with a sweet tooth. Chocolate is not the only color Lab that has a sweet tooth, of course. Labs differ only in color.
Chocolate Labs, Black Labs, and Yellow Labs all are known to eat whatever they can find - including sweets. So although we use a Chocolate Lab puppy for our example here, remember that we include all Labs.

Your Chocolate Lab Puppy

You decided to get a Chocolate Lab puppy, and found one that was perfect in every way. You bought him from a reputable breeder, and his health is guaranteed. It is guaranteed in some ways, that is, but not against sweets.

Your Chocolate Lab puppy is likely to be around his humans when they are eating. He is likely to beg when they are eating sweets. Most dogs do. That is why Internet dog sites repeatedly warn, ” Remember: avoid feeding your dog sweets.” Dogs want sweets. A Chocolate Lab puppy wants sweets. A Chocolate Lab puppy especially wants chocolates.

Chocolate, Coffee, Soda Warning

Chocolate is one of the worst things you can give your Chocolate Lab puppy. Coffee and caffeinated soft drinks are similar. All chocolate, coffee, and caffeinated drinks contain substances called methylxanthines. These are found in seeds of the cacao fruit, the plant used to make chocolate and coffee. They are also found in the nuts of an extract used in some soft drinks. This substance is toxic to Chocolate Lab puppies. It can kill them.

Note that darker chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. White chocolate has the lowest level of methylxanthines, while baking chocolate contains the highest.

Symptoms of Chocolate, Coffee, Caffeine Poisoning

The initial symptoms of poisoning in a Chocolate Lab puppy are as follows:

* stomach upset
* vomiting
* diarrhea
* panting
* excessive thirst
* excessive urination

If your Chocolate Lab puppy consumes enough chocolate, coffee, or caffeine, the pup will become restless and uncoordinated. It may suffer heart failure, tremors, seizures, or respiratory failure. It can die very soon after.

How Much Chocolate?

A Chocolate Lab puppy can reach almost adult weight of 60 to 70 pounds within six or seven months of birth. At a mere 10 pounds, that Chocolate Lab puppy can readily be killed by as little as one ounce of baking chocolate or eight ounces of milk chocolate. One candy bar is too much. Quantities have not been as clearly established for coffee and caffeinated products.

Emergency Action

What should you do if your Chocolate Lab puppy (or any dog) consumes chocolate, coffee, or caffeine? As with other poisonings, you should seek emergency medical treatment from a qualified veterinarian.

Other Foods to Avoid

Other foods that are dangerous to your Chocolate Lab puppy are these:

* alcohol
* avocado
* chives, garlic, onions
* grapes or raisins
* macadamia nuts
* milk
* raw or undercooked meat, eggs, or bones
* unbaked yeast dough
* Xylitol sweetener used in chewing gum, etc.

Final Tip

Your Chocolate Lab puppy really does not need any sweets or human food at all. He is likely to get more enjoyment out of a natural pig ear!