Theobromine poisoning
| Animal | Oral toxicity (mg/kg) | |
|---|---|---|
| TDLo | LD50 | |
| Cat | 200 | |
| Dog | 16 | 300 |
| Human | 26 | ~1,000 |
| Mouse | 837 | |
| Rat | 1,265 | |
Theobromine poisoning or chocolate poisoning is an overdose reaction to the alkaloid theobromine, found in chocolate, tea, cola beverages,[1] açaí berries,[citation needed] and some other foods. Toxic (LD50) doses of theobromine have only been published for humans, cats, dogs, rats, and mice; these differ by a factor of 6 across species (see the table in this article). The toxicity for (pet) birds is not known, but it is typically assumed that chocolate is dangerous for birds.[2]
Contents |
Chocolate [edit]
In humans [edit]
Cacao beans contain about 1.2% theobromine by weight, while processed chocolate, in general, has smaller amounts. The amount found in highly refined chocolate candies (typically 1.4–2.1 g/kg or 40–60 mg/oz) is much lower than that of dark chocolate or unsweetened baker's chocolate (> 14 g/kg or > 400 mg/oz). In general, the amount of theobromine found in chocolate is small enough such that chocolate can be safely consumed by humans. However, occasional serious side effects may result from the consumption of large quantities, especially in the elderly.[3] In extreme cases, emergency room treatment may be required.[4]
In animals [edit]
Serious poisoning happens more frequently in domestic animals, which metabolize theobromine much more slowly than humans, and can easily consume enough chocolate to cause chocolate poisoning. If large numbers of filled chocolate candies are consumed another serious danger is posed by the fat and sugar in the fillings which can sometimes trigger life threatening pancreatitis several days later. The most common victims of theobromine poisoning are dogs,[5][6][7] for which it can be fatal. The toxic dose for cats is even lower than for dogs. However, cats are less prone to eating chocolate since they are unable to taste sweetness.[8] Theobromine is much less toxic to rats and mice, due to their relative genetic similarity to primates; they and humans all have an LD50 of about 1,000 mg/kg.
In dogs, the half-life of theobromine is 17.5 hours; in severe cases, clinical symptoms of theobromine poisoning can persist for 72 hours.[9] Medical treatment performed by a veterinarian involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion and administration of benzodiazepines or barbiturates for seizures, antiarrhythmics for heart arrhythmias, and fluid diuresis. Theobromine is also suspected to induce right atrial cardiomyopathy after long term exposure at levels equivalent to ~15 g of dark chocolate per kg of weight and per day.[10] A typical 20 kg (44 lb) dog will normally experience intestinal distress after eating less than 240 g (8.5 oz) of dark chocolate, but won't necessarily experience bradycardia or tachyarrhythmia unless it eats at least 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) of milk chocolate. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, baker's chocolate of approximately 1.3 g/kg (0.02 oz/lb) of a dog's body weight is sufficient to cause symptoms of toxicity. For example, 2.25-ounce (64 g) of baker's chocolate would be enough to produce symptoms in a 20-pound (9.1 kg) dog; however, other types of chocolate (such as milk chocolate candies) contain significantly less theombromine and so require the dog to ingest more before showing symptoms.[11]
Chemists with the USDA are investigating the use of theobromine as a toxicant to control coyotes that prey on livestock.[12]
Symptoms [edit]
The first signs of theobromine poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination. These can progress to cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death.
Footnotes [edit]
- ^ Gennaro, M. C.; Abrigo, C. (1992). "Caffeine and theobromine in coffee, tea and cola-beverages". Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry 343 (6): 523–525. doi:10.1007/BF00322162. ISSN 0937-0633.
- ^ B. Harvey, Toxicoses in Birds. (unknown date and original publisher)
- ^ THEOBROMINE from the Hazardous Substances Data Bank
- ^ Emergency treatment of theobromine poisoning, from the Hazardous Substances Data Bank
- ^ "Dog owners get chocolate warning". BBC. December 30, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ "Chocolate Poisoning in the Dog". Vetrica. February 9, 2004. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ "Greedy dog cheats chocolate death". BBC. April 3, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ Biello, David (August 16, 2007). "Strange but True: Cats Cannot Taste Sweets". Scientific American. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ Gwaltney-Brant, Sharon (February, 2001). "Chocolate Intoxication". Veterinary Medicine Publishing Group. Retrieved November 05, 2011.
- ^ H. Gans, Joseph. "Effects of short-term and long-term theobromine administration to male dogs". Elsevier Inc. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ^ Boyles, Salynn. "Dogs and Chocolate: Get the Facts". WebMD. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
- ^ Johnston, John J. (2005). "Evaluation of Cocoa- and Coffee-Derived Methylxanthines as Toxicants for the Control of Pest Coyotes". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
References [edit]
- Theobromine in the ChemIDplus database (September 9, 2004)
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Toxicology/Food Hazards section), Merck & Co., Inc., Chocolate Poisoning. (June 16, 2005)
External links [edit]
- A Pet Owner's Guide to Poisons: Chocolate at the Wayback Machine (archived August 5, 2009)
- Toxicity basic facts
- The science behind the toxicity
