My dog ate cocoa mulch. Can it cause seizures, heart murmurs, coma?

While the hibiscus is toxic to dogs, according to the ASCPA, it causes vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and anorexia. It does not cause seizures, but if Mia is having seizures, she should see a vet right away. Causes of seizures include low blood sugar, certain toxins, trauma to the head, liver disease, kidney failure, and brain tumors. She should be seen by a vet to determine the cause of her seizures so they can be treated. If Mia seizures again before you can seek vet care: - Don't put your hands near her mouth - Keep some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle to spray on the pads of the feet for cooling - Monitor her at all times during the seizure to ensure that she cannot hurt himself by crashing into furniture, etc - If the seizure continues for more than 5 minutes, seek emergency care immediately

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. It's possible that he may have had a stroke or blood clot secondary to his heart disease that traveled to his brain. Or, if he was regularly having collapsing episodes due to his heart (syncope), what you saw may have been one of these that was especially severe, as this is a common cause of sudden death in dogs with severe heart problems. If you want to try to get a more definite answer on what the cause of death may have been, you would need to have an autopsy done, called a necropsy in animals. Your veterinarian should be able to let you know where you can have this done, if it's something you want to pursue. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Seizures are very scary! if this is related to the chocolate, Coco is not expected to have any further seizures as long as she doesn't eat any chocolate. If the seizure was related to epilepsy or some other cause, then it could happen again. I recommend to ask your veterinarian about their clinical impression. I hope this helps.

Hello. Caffeine & theobromine are methylated xanthine alkaloids of plant origin. Methylxanthines are rapidly absorbed in the gut & it is thought that they act through the inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases & antagonism of receptor-mediated actions of adenosine, a amino acid. They also stimulate catecholamine synthesis & release. Overall effects include CNS stimulation, enhanced force & rate of myocardial contractions, increase gastric secretions, smooth muscle relaxation & diuresis. This is what causes the vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, elevated & irregular heart rates, increased thirst/urination, rigidity/seizures, eventually leading to coma & death. Hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh dear! You're right that cocoa powder can certainly be toxic to dogs; coffee can as well, since they don't tolerate caffeine very well. But the good news is, I would not expect a single prepackaged coffee drink like this to contain enough of either one to cause any serious toxicity issues in a large-breed dog. It's possible that he may have some mild stomach upset if he isn't used to eating things like this, but otherwise I would not expect to see any serious problems. To be safe, it would be best to monitor him for the next 12 hours for any signs of toxicity - which would include repeated episodes of vomiting or diarrhea, restlessness or hyperactivity, muscle tremors, or even seizures. If you see anything that concerns you, you can always take him to the vet to be checked.

I'm so sorry you lost your cat so suddenly! An upper respiratory infection would not typically cause seizures. An upper respiratory infection can occasionally cause pneumonia or severe dehydration that could be life threatening but you would probably see other signs like trouble breathing or extreme lethargy. A heart murmur may or may not be related to underlying heart disease, but if there was heart disease present it could potentially lead to a seizure and sudden death. If he died recently you could consider taking him to your vet for a post mortem exam (autopsy) to try to determine what the cause may have been, but it can be difficult to know for certain.

You can expect mild gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea or decreased appetite). The amount is not enough to cause serious toxicity in a 15lb dog, but you should still monitor for tremors, increased heart rate, hyperactivity or seizures. Minor GI upset can usually be managed at home with a 24 hour fast followed by a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Ideally, Mojito should be examined by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER. Either can induce vomiting if the ingestion has happened in the last two hours, then administer activated charcoal to further inhibit absorption.