# Chocolate is it bad for horses



## lydiaandmiffy (26 September 2006)

just wondering if its poisonous or anything?


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## filly190 (26 September 2006)

I dont know about horses, but for dogs it is deadly.  There was a press story a few years back, a race horse was given a mars bar as a treat before a race and when it won, there was a hoo ha about it.  The horse was elimiated from the race, I think it did Mars the world of good in publicity, but as for the health of the horse, it won!!


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## pixie (26 September 2006)

that's because chocolate contains theobromine - a substance prohibited under Jockey Club rules (The threshold level is 2 micrograms per mililitre in urine).


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## Parkranger (27 September 2006)

Since when has it been deadly for dogs?  Our old great dane wolfed down a whole chocolate cake that it nicked from the surface - didn't do her anyharm!

I've heard that grapes are poisoinus to dogs?


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## princesskelly (27 September 2006)

both my dog and horse eat chocolate and have been doing so for years and there both still alive. why is it deadly for dog's?


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## Puppy (27 September 2006)

From Wikidepia:

[qoute]Poisons
[edit]
Dangerous foods
Some foods commonly enjoyed by humans are dangerous to dogs:

*Dogs love the flavor of chocolate, but chocolate in sufficient doses is lethally toxic to dogs (and horses and possibly cats).* Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical stimulant that, together with caffeine and theophylline, belongs to the group of methylxanthine alkaloids. Dogs are unable to metabolize theobromine effectively. If they eat chocolate, the theobromine can remain in their bloodstreams for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience fast heart rate, hallucinations, severe diarrhea, epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death. A chocolate bar can be sufficient to make a small dog extremely ill or even kill it. Approximately thirty grams of baking chocolate per kilogram (1/2 ounce per pound) of body weight is enough to be poisonous. In case of accidental intake of chocolate by especially a smaller dog, contact a veterinarian or animal poison control immediately; it is commonly recommended to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. Large breeds are less susceptible to chocolate poisoning, but still are far less tolerant of the substance than humans are. 
Note:Carob treats are often available as dog treats; these are unrelated to chocolate and are safe. 
It has recently been confirmed that grapes and raisins can cause acute renal failure in dogs. The exact mechanism is not known, nor any means to determine the susceptibility of an individual dog. However one vet [1] believes it may be an acute auto-immune response to plant-borne viruses [2] in the same manner as FIP in cats. While as little as one raisin can be fatal to a susceptible ten pound dog, many other dogs have eaten as much as a pound of grapes or raisins at a time without ill effects. The dog usually vomits a few hours after consumption and begins showing signs of renal failure three to five days later. 

[/ QUOTE ]


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## amage (27 September 2006)

not bad for them but they won't pass a competition dope test. the caffeine makes it illegal


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## Tempi (27 September 2006)

Bloss loves chocolate - but she hardly ever gets any as i dont eat it.  She had a couple of malteasers the other day - loved those!!


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## wench (27 September 2006)

My horse is a bottomless pit so will have to try him with some 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 he already loves sour cream and chive pringles and those salty chip stick crisp thingys.

As for dogs and chocolat - yes it is deadly for them, but dark chocolate is the worst offender of the chemical. Milk and white chocolate have milk and other stuff in them which "waters it down" in effect. Hence they would have to eat a lot more of it for it to become deadly


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## MagicMelon (27 September 2006)

Why would you feed chocolate to a horse anyway?!


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## eekmon (27 September 2006)

I sometomes give my horse a bit of chocolate as a treat, say if I was eating a bag of minstrals or something I would automatically give him a couple! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 He easts anything. Can't see giving a little bit of choccy to a horse on the odd occasion can do too much harm? He does no competing! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 If you think how big a horse is compared to a couple of squares of choccy, would of thought you would have to feed a hell of alot to do any real harm!


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## Cobnut1 (27 September 2006)

Chocolate is bad for people...never mind animals!!! you wanna see my midrift...!!!! (tastes yummy though!)


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