It's a good thing yogurt was in this bowl, instead of chocolate, or we might have killed our dog Maggie a long time ago - before she died of "old age."
We've been discussing the misconception that chocolate contains caffiene. It does NOT contain caffiene. It contains theobromine, a sort of a stimulant that is similar to caffiene in chemical structure, but not in effects.
We talked about caffiene being like a sprint, and theobromine being like a marathon, releasing it's "stimulating" qualities over a period of time, rather than the quick burst of energy that caffiene provides.
In an article published on About.com, entitled "Chemistry of Theobromine" it says, "Cocoa and chocolate products may be toxis or leethal to dogs and other domestic animals such as horses because there animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans. The heart, central nervous system, and kidneys are affected. Early signs of thoebromine poisoning in dogs include nausea and vomiting, reltlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increase urination or incontenence. The treatment at this stage is to induce vomiting. Cardiac arrythmias and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisoning."
Chocolate is a very complex food - kind of like wine is. It's important to know about the nutritional benefits of chocolates - as well as understand why our pets can't share in our delictable delight!
Next time: Chocolate and Lou Gehrig's disease
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