PupkeeperDog chocolate toxicity calculator
Enter the chocolate, how much was eaten and your dog's weight to see the dose in mg per kg and what it can do. It is the same check as in the Pupkeeper app, with the Merck Veterinary Manual's thresholds. A result below them is never called safe.
If your dog ate chocolate, call your vet or a pet poison line now
United States
Poison lines in other countries: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, JM, PR, Singapore, Switzerland, TT, VI
How much chocolate is toxic to a dog?
Signs usually start at about 20 mg of theobromine and caffeine per kg of a dog's body weight. The Merck Veterinary Manual links 40 to 50 mg/kg to a racing or irregular heartbeat, 60 mg/kg and above to seizures, and 100 to 200 mg/kg to the death of about half of dogs. Severe signs and death can occur at lower doses in some dogs.
| Dose | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 15 mg/kg | Below the level where signs are usually seen. Published thresholds start at 20 mg/kg; this is lower. Dogs vary, so call your vet if you are unsure or your dog seems unwell. |
| 15 to 20 mg/kg | Close to the level where signs are seen: call now. This is close to 20 mg/kg, where vomiting, diarrhea and thirst are seen, and the amount eaten is usually an estimate. Call your vet or a pet poison line now. |
| 20 to 40 mg/kg | Vomiting and diarrhea are likely. This is above the 20 mg/kg level linked to vomiting, diarrhea and thirst. Call your vet or a pet poison line now. |
| 40 to 60 mg/kg | Risk to the heart. This is above 40 mg/kg, where a racing or irregular heartbeat is seen (Merck: 40-50 mg/kg). Call your vet or a poison line now. |
| 60 to 100 mg/kg | Risk of seizures: emergency. This is at or above 60 mg/kg, where seizures occur. Go to a vet now. |
| 100 mg/kg or more | Potentially lethal dose: emergency. This is in the 100-200 mg/kg range reported to kill about half of dogs. Go to a vet now. |
Which chocolate is most dangerous for dogs?
Cocoa powder (28.5 mg per gram) and baking chocolate (15.5 mg) hold the most theobromine and caffeine; dark chocolate holds about 10.9 mg per gram at 70% cocoa, milk chocolate 2.3 mg and white chocolate very little (0.04 mg).
| Type | mg per gram |
|---|---|
| Milk chocolate | 2.3 |
| Dark chocolate | 15.5 × the cocoa % (10.9 at 70%)Enter the cocoa % from the label: the higher it is, the more dangerous. |
| Semisweet / sweet dark | 5.6Under ~50% cocoa, like chocolate chips. A bar with its % on the label: pick Dark chocolate. |
| White chocolate | 0.04 |
| Baking chocolate | 15.5Unsweetened, 100% cocoa. |
| Cocoa powder | 28.5 |
| Cocoa bean mulch | 9Garden mulch made from cocoa bean shells (hulls). |
Examples
- A 10 kg (22 lb) dog that ate 100 g (3.5 oz) of milk chocolateAbout 23 mg/kg: Vomiting and diarrhea are likely.
- A 30 kg (66 lb) dog that ate 45 g (1.6 oz) of milk chocolateAbout 3.5 mg/kg: Below the level where signs are usually seen.
- An 8 kg (18 lb) dog that ate 30 g (1.1 oz) of baking chocolateAbout 58 mg/kg: Risk to the heart.
- A 5 kg (11 lb) dog that ate 50 g (1.8 oz) of dark chocolate (70% cocoa)About 109 mg/kg: Potentially lethal dose: emergency.
Severe signs and death can occur at lower doses in some dogs (Merck).
How much xylitol is toxic to dogs?
The Merck Veterinary Manual links more than 100 mg of xylitol per kg of body weight to a dangerous drop in blood sugar within 30 minutes, and more than 500 mg/kg to liver failure in some dogs. Xylitol works fast and labels rarely say how much a piece holds, so call your vet or a pet poison line now.
| Dose | What it means |
|---|---|
| More than 100 mg/kg | Dangerous drop in blood sugar likely. This is above 100 mg/kg, linked to low blood sugar within 30 minutes. Go to a vet now. |
| More than 500 mg/kg | Risk of liver failure: emergency. This is above 500 mg/kg, where some dogs develop liver failure. Go to a vet now. |
Grapes and raisins: no dose check
There is no dose check for grapes or raisins, because no safe amount is known.
Other dose checks
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Chocolate Toxicosis in Animals (updated Feb 2026)
- Pet Poison Helpline: Chocolate
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Xylitol Toxicosis in Dogs (updated Jun 2025)
The thresholds and chocolate values are the ones in the Pupkeeper app's dose check (calc.js), quoted from the Merck Veterinary Manual.
An estimate from published thresholds, not a diagnosis: dogs vary. If you're unsure or your dog seems unwell, call your vet.