Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My dog ate chocolate ice cream. Is it toxic? What should I do now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 40 lbs

Hi, my 39 pound dog just ate about 1/3 pint of chocolate ice cream. What should I do?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 29th, 2018

If you still have the ice cream container, check the label for chocolate or cocoa content. This is needed to calculate how much chocolate or cocoa your dog ingested. Unfortunately I cannot tell you if your dog ingested a toxic amount. You can do one of three things: take your dog to a pet ER and have them make your dog vomit. This will work if he ingested the ice cream within the past hour. Or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Phone Number: (888) 426-4435 The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card. They will be able to best advise you. Please have the label available so you can let them know the amount of chocolate/cocoa listed. or you can wait it out an watch for signs of toxicity such as agitation, nervousness, fast heart beat, general malaise, collapse. If any of these signs occur, take Louis to a petER for supportive care.

Vote icon

6Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 25th, 2017

    Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chocolate toxicity is based on the weight of the dog and the amount and type of chocolate eaten. The picture above looks like it mostly contains peanut butter and other ingredients. But to play it safe I recommend that you take Tulio to a Vet or an emergency hospital to induce vomiting and give activated charcoal. Hopefully that will prevent any chocolate toxicity and any gastro-intestinal and pancreatic side effects. Another option is to call the ASPCA poison control hotline. They have a lot more information about the amount of chocolate present in these products and can calculate if he ate enough for it to be a problem. There is a ~$65 fee, but it may avoid going to the emergency hospital. The number is (888) 426-4435. I hope this helps and I wish Tulio the best!

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 15.6lbs JRT-chihuahua mix drunk my espresso mixed with mint chocolate cookie ice cream approximately 30-60ml. Shall we bring him to the vet? Induce vomiting? Wait for s/s of toxicity? What should we do?
Wow - Mochi had quite the dessert! J/K. Thank you for asking this question. Please check the type of chocolate in the ice cream. If it is milk chocolate, MOST LIKELY it will not cause any major symptoms of chocolate toxicity. However, espresso can be quite strong for a little dog, like Mochi, and could potential be toxic. Signs of caffeine toxicity MAY occur and would be similar to chocolate toxicity. I would not recommend to induce vomiting at this time based on the information you have given. However, the quantity of these products seems like a very small amount I think it is most like to not be a problem. The first signs you would be looking for are vomiting, diarrhea, agitation and/or hyper excitability. If any of these have already started or you see them within the next couple of hours I would recommend to either call the ASPCA number to speak directly to a toxicologist: 888-299-2973 There is a fee to speak to a veterinary toxicologist, however it will be worth it if
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 month old pitbull licked some choclate ive cream out of my daughters ive cream bowl. What do i do?
Considering her weight few laps of it (especially if not dark chocolate) should not provoke any toxicity. I would monitor her for the next hours and if showing any signs (restless/generally unsettled, breathing abnormally, vomiting, diarrhoea) a check up would be needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello my name is priya from malaysia . My puppy have eaten chocolate ice cream alot is that my puply have poisen.If my puppy has poisen what show it's poisen. Can the chocolate ice cream harm my puppy
The severity of intoxication would depend on the quantity of chocolate ingested. It is certainly possible that some signs will be evident. Please follow this link to know more about this intoxication: http://www.aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/m-toxbrief_0201_0.pdf Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My kitten ate chocolate icecream. A lid from an icecream container was left out and I found her eating icecream off of it. I took it from her before it was licked clean. She did get quite a bit of it. What should I do?
That was naughty of Nyx to eat the ice cream! I would first check the ingredients of the ice cream. If it doesn't contain a large amount of real chocolate or dark chocolate (as opposed to milk chocolate), there may not be enough chocolate in the ice cream to cause problems. If it does contain large amounts of chocolate or dark chocolate, rush her into a vet immediately. I would monitor her for signs of chocolate toxicity to be safe which include rapid and/or labored breathing, hyperactivity, rapid heart rate, tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and general symptoms of illness like decreased appetite and/or lethargy. If you see any of those signs, take her into a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my 3 yr old pit bull just ate almost the entire half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream. What should I do?
Monitor him very closely for any signs or symptoms. The amount of chocolate would be quite small but may cause agitation, muscle twitching or even seizures requiring treatment. The ice cream may cause vomiting, diarrhea or even pancreatitis with severe pain. A probiotic and fiber supplement such as fortiflora may help rebalance the gut also
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 9 lb chihuahua ate 5 (2 inch) mini eclairs with chocolate icing about 2.5 hrs ago. He seems fine, acting normal. I really can't afford vet right now. What can I do?
Most chocolate icing contains very little actual cocoa, so I doubt that this will be enough to cause any problems - even in a very small dog like Romeo. He may have an upset stomach if he isn't used to eating "people food" like this, but otherwise he will probably be just fine. Signs of chocolate toxicity to watch for would include restlessness or hyperactivity, muscle tremors, or even seizures. If you have any concerns about how he is acting in the next 12 hours, it would be best to try and find a way to have him seen by a vet if you can.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello there I just got home and I saw my dog had lot's of cookies and chocolates from the table. Is there anything that I have to do?
Hello and welcome to Boop by Petco. Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and the severity is dependent on the amount of chocolate eaten. If you can determine the type of chocolate (white, milk, dark, etc.) and the exact amount (number of ounces or grams), then you can call your local 24 hour clinic and ask if that amount is toxic or not. If it is, then you will need to get Vito to throw up, and then depending on what is thrown up and how much chocolate was ingested, IV fluids, and medications, might be required. Chocolate toxicity causes vomiting, diarrhea, tachycardia (high heart rate), arrythmias (Abnormal heart beat rhythm), tremors, seizures and death, often in that order, depending on how much was eaten. Best of luck with Vito, hopefully it wasn't too much chocolate.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog ate a chocolate cake I’m scared and have no idea what to do I have no money and the pet poison helpline charges a lot
With chocolate ‘the dose determines the poison’ so depending on how much he ate he may not be affected or might require intensive treatment. To make things a little more difficult, if you didn’t bake the cake yourself or if you used a mix it can be very difficult to estimate how much chocolate was in the cake. Cakes usually have cocoa powder which is very concentrated, and as little as 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder could be toxic to a 30 pound dog. If he ate the cake in the last couple of hours you could see an emergency vet to have them induce vomiting to be safe.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My roommate's dog, Napoleon (Dachshund, 13yrs old, 25lbs) has consumed chocolate (no dark) no more than 4hrs ago. Please advise.
The toxicity depends on how much chocolate Napolean actually ate. Figure out how much chocolate Napolean actually ate. I would recommend to call the Pet Poison Control hotline: 855-764-7661. They can calculate the amount that Napoleon ate and accurately tell you if it is toxic or not. Milk chocolate is generally less toxic which is what it sounds like Napoelon got into. According to the VCA website: Toxic doses of theobromine are reported to be as low as 20 mg/kg, where agitation, hyperactivity and gastrointestinal signs (such as drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea - all which may smell like chocolate) can be seen. Now its just figuring out how much chocolate Napoleon ate. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog just ate a packet of Tim Tams what doi do?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is very concerning and how much it will affect Louis will depend on how much was ingested (it comes in packs of different sizes) and how much he weighs. However, it is always best to be cautious as chocolate toxicity is a potentially serious toxicity which can lead to severe complications and even death. Again this will depend on the amount ingested relative to the patient's size. Some of the common complications include gastrointestinal signs, arrhythmia and seizures. If he just ate, a veterinarian may still be able to induce vomiting to at least retrieve some. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your local emergency clinic as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored