Cacao tree is highly toxic for dogs
Theobroma cacao 
The cacao tree is a non-hardy, evergreen tree that can be grown as a houseplant or pot plant.
It originates from the tropical rainforests of Latin America and is also at home as a cultivated plant in Asia and Africa. Although it can reach a height of up to 10 metres, it is usually kept at 4 metres.
Its elongated leaves are first reddish and only later green. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, the fruits have a hard brown shell with white seeds.
The seeds and fruit shells of the cacao tree are highly poisonous to dogs. They contain the poison theobromine. Although it is unlikely that pets will come into contact with the fruits and seeds of the cacao tree in our latitudes, the same poison is found in chocolate.
Find out when chocolate is poisonous for dogs, what the symptoms are and what you can do if you are poisoned with chocolate in this article: Chocolate is toxic for dogs.
Cacao tree is also known as:
- cocoa tree
What should I do if my dog ate Cacao tree?
How toxic is Cacao tree?
| Toxicity: | (highly toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | The seeds and fruit shells of the cacao tree are highly poisonous to dogs. |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | Unknown |
If your dog shows symptoms of poisoning, it is always an emergency! Time is critical for your dog's life. You should immediately call your vet or the animal emergency services and make sure that a vet is on site and then go there immediately. For the treatment, it helps the vet a lot to know what your dog has ingested.
Occurrence Cacao tree
| Plant species: | tree |
| Occurrence: | Indoor |
| Areas: | - |
| Flowering time: | - |
| Fruit ripening: | - |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in case of poisoning with the cocoa tree (chocolate):
- nausea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- diarrhoea
In case of very severe poisoning, the following additional symptoms may occur:
- shortness of breath
- heart problems
- kidney problems (increased urge to urinate and even failure to pass urine)
- death may occur due to cardiac arrest or respiratory paralysis
Treatment
The vet will always try to remove the ingested poison from the body and alleviate the specific symptoms of poisoning.
There are different methods to remove the poison from the body:
1. ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: Activated charcoal can absorb toxins. If possible, it should be administered within 2 hours after ingestion of the poison, so that the toxin does not enter the bloodstream.
2. LAXATIVES: The vet may combine the administration of activated charcoal with a laxative.
3. VOMITING: The vet can also induce vomiting using medication to remove the toxin from the body.
If the symptoms of poisoning are very severe, infusions, artificial respiration and anticonvulsant medication may also be administered.
More information on dog poisonings can be found here:
Further poisonous plants from A to Z
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