With dogs being so popular and many dogs always wanting to eat the same thing that their owners eat, we often see people reaching out worried due to their dog having eaten something that they shouldn’t have.
We have noticed people reaching out and asking questions about their dog having eaten a chocolate covered raisin.
This is often due to many dog owners knowing that both chocolate and raisins are toxic to dogs, even in small amounts so many people can end up getting themselves worried.
We even see people reaching out if their dog ate one chocolate covered raisin so we wanted to publish this article to try and put the minds of our readers at ease if possible.
Before we go any further, we just want to be clear that this article is for informational purposes only, if you are worried about your dog after it has eaten a chocolate covered raisin then you should take it for a checkup with a vet.
Can Eating One Chocolate Covered Raisin Hurt A Dog?
Now, let’s start by looking at whether or not eating one chocolate covered raisin can actually hurt a dog.
As we have mentioned, both chocolate and raisins are toxic to dogs so it is definitely possible for a dog to get sick from eating just one chocolate covered raisin.
The Chocolate Risk
The amount of cocoa in the chocolate and the size of the raisin will play a big role in how sick your dog could potentially get.
For example, if your dog ate a milk chocolate covered raisin then it is likely that they will be fine as milk chocolate doesn’t contain very much cocoa.
On the other hand, if your dog ate a dark chocolate covered raisin then they could be at risk of chocolate toxicity as dark chocolate contains much higher levels of cocoa.
The Raisin Risk
As for the raisin, the size will also play a role in how sick your dog could potentially get.
If the raisin was very small then it is less likely to cause any problems but if the raisin was larger then it could potentially cause blockages or other problems.
The toxicity risk from a raisin can cause problems more frequently in older dogs, puppies, or dogs with existing health problems though so keep that in mind.
The Over All Risk
So, as you can see, there are a few factors that will play a role in how sick your dog could potentially get from eating one chocolate covered raisin.
If you are at all worried then we recommend taking your dog to the vet for a checkup but if you are sure that your dog only ate a small amount of chocolate and a small raisin then they are likely to be fine.
Most dogs will be fine or have mild symptoms of vomiting and potentially trembling after eating one chocolate covered raisin but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
You also have to realize that the size of your dog will play a large role in the risk to your dogs with medium and large dogs having a much larger chance of having no issues than a smaller dog.
What Are The Symptoms Of Chocolate Toxicity In Dogs?
If your dog does happen to eat a large amount of chocolate or a raisin then they could potentially experience some symptoms of toxicity.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Lethargy.
- Tremors.
- Seizures.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog then we recommend taking them to the vet as soon as possible as they could potentially be very sick.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats A Chocolate Covered Raisin?
If you think that your dog may have eaten a chocolate covered raisin then the first thing you should do is monitor your dog for any of the symptoms covered in the section above.
The toxicity symptoms of both chocolate and raisins in dogs may not show depending on the exact situation even though your dog may be having internal issues though.
This is why we recommend a check up with the vet if possible.
Still, as we mentioned earlier, vomiting and trembling tend to be the most common symptoms that you will see in your dog after eating a chocolate raisin, and in most cases, they will usually pass within a couple of dogs.
How Long After Eating Chocolate Covered Raisins Will A Dog Get Sick?
The symptoms of toxicity usually set in anywhere from 6 to 12 hours after eating chocolate covered raisins.
If your dog has not had any other food that day or has pre-existing health conditions then your dog may end up having issues sooner than this though.
This can actually end up working to your advantage though as it can end up causing your dog to vomit quickly after eating the chocolate covered raisin preventing it from being digested by your dog and presenting any serious risks.
We commonly see people share methods on social media that you can use to cause your dog to vomit but we would always recommend that you use these.
Many of them make your dog vomit by adding additional toxic substances to your dog’s digestive system adding more risk and correctly dosing these methods relative to the size of your dog can be difficult.
If you do notice that your dog has eaten chocolate covered raisins then take it to the vet as soon as possible and they will be able to give your dog a solution to make it vomit safely with minimal additional risk to the dog.
Can A Dog Survive Eating A Chocolate Covered Raisin?
The vast majority of dogs who eat a small number of chocolate covered raisins will thankfully survive and not have any long term health problems.
As always, we recommend taking your dog to the vet for a checkup as soon as possible to be on the safe side but in most cases, they will be just fine.
Larger dogs have a much better chance of surviving and not experiencing any toxicity symptoms than smaller dogs do.
This is due to the fact that it takes a larger amount of chocolate covered raisins to reach a toxic dose in a larger dog than it does in a smaller dog.
For example, a 10-pound toy poodle would only need to eat 3 chocolate covered raisins to potentially be at risk for toxicity while a 100-pound great dane would need to eat 30 chocolate covered raisins to be at the same risk.
This is why we recommend always keeping an eye on your dog no matter the size if they happen to get into a stash of chocolate covered raisins.
