Why is chocolate so toxic for most animals?

[CoolCatMar1]

[Being_a_good_Indian]

Chocolate contains cocoa, and cocoa contains the compound theobromine. Theobromine is toxic to dogs and other animals at certain doses. Chocolate poisoning is a problem that occurs mainly in dogs but also occurs occasionally in cats or other animals.

[jshm2]

The same reason grapes are.

Humans aren't really "animals" in that we are very different from anything out there.

It's only for clarity in our scientism that we categorise everything as being either plant or animal.

Anyway, there are compounds in plants like grapes, cocoa and others that animals just cannot digest like humans can.

[FreyaRed]

Theobromine is a plant poison present in lot of plant products, cocoa, yerba, guarana and even black tea. Somehow this poison decays in humans very soon, that's why we aren't affected by this poison even in high dosages.

[Nikki1989]

I know dogs can't process Theobromine, a chemical found in chocolate.

[CoolCatMar1]

Ohh that's why

[Nikki1989]

Yes, it reduces blood flow to the brain, if I remember right.

[CoolCatMar1]

Omg...

[najekim]

Same for cats.

[MementoMori777]

The sugar I think, not only that the doses of their nutrition is completely different than ours so a serving for us might unbalance their nutrition and can cause problems, and for dogs I heard it's straight up toxic, ferrets are carnivores so their body can't dissolve vegetables, I'm sure for other animals it's different

[dreamstar72]

Something about their digestive system, but never drop chocolate where a dog can get to it they sure love it. So I get dog chocolate like treats and I think I fool her.

[MrCommodore]

Good question, not sure why though, but know its bad for dogs. Might not be good for humans either.

[zagor]

Some animals, like dogs, don't have the ability to process it. But in small amounts it isn't fatal - when I was a kid our dog devoured most of a batch of chocolate chip cookies and she lived to an old age.

[Minahh]

Yeah the same thing happened to my friend's dog, the dog has eaten half of the dark chocolate and now it is pretty much alive.

[TCredo]

Not sure but I know a cold quart of milk and a box of chocolate chip cookies is toxic for me lol :)

[Marked_Man]

Grapes too. Never feed a dog grapes. I read it damages their internal organs.

[KostasKouvalis]

Natural, unprocessed chocolate is extremely bitter and inedible.

[KostasKouvalis]

The chocolate evolved a bitter taste as a defense mechanism so animals won't eat it

[motownplayer2000]

Should be a wake up call that we shouldn’t be consuming it either

[LiamJHayden]

It's what @nikki1989 said. Theobromine is toxic for dogs and cats. And birds, too.

[TrillXHippy]

Because chocolate contains cocoa which is not good for them

[Paulychicagoluv]

Ummm maybe where it comes from? The powder and such

[Notsoshyguy1985]

White chocolate is my favourite

[collie22]

I didn't know

[insteadfew]

I have no idea

[Gentleman0]

ı can't know