In our second installment of Dog Myths Debunked, our hosts sniff out the truth about these two common dog myths:

On today’s episode, we explore the science being chocolate and grass eating in dogs. Our expert guests describe what happens to your dog experiencing chocolate toxicity, what is done to treat it, and why your dog may be eating grass. The reasons might surprise you!

Episode Links

Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter by PetMD

Top 10 Dog Poisons by Pet Poison Helpline

Heightened risk of canine chocolate exposure at Christmas and Easter by Dr. Peter-John Noble et al.

International Wolf Center

Characterisation of plant eating in dogs by Dr. Karen Sueda and Dr. Benjamin Hart

This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.

About the Guests

Dr. Renee Schmid-Pet Poison Helpline, Senior Veterinary Toxicologist

Dr. Karen Lynne Chieko Sueda-West Los Angeles Animal Hospital, veterinary behaviorist

Dr. Benjamine Leslie Hart-University of California, Davis, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, School of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Peter-John Mäntylä Noble-University of Liverpool, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine

Dr. Brittany Grenus-Relief Veterinarian

Lori Schmidt-International Wolf Center, Wolf Curator

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

10:02 What makes chocolate so toxic for dogs?

14:45 Treatment for chocolate toxicity in dogs

17:05 What happens when a dog eats chocolate?

19:27 Do dogs eat grass when they are sick?

22:08 Self-medication in animals

25:10 Do wolves eat grass when they are sick?

30:41 Outro

About Dog Podcast Network (DPN) 

Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:

The Long Leash where we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show

Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer

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