Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs

Instructional Guide

The story and activities center around a dog that stole and ate Halloween chocolate.  It explores digestion and absorption as well as signs and treatment options for chocolate toxicity in dogs.

Intended Grade Level:

This lesson is intended for students in 3rd- 5th grade. Students should have a basic understanding of the digestive system and how food flows through it.

Learning objectives:

• Students can describe in their own words what can cause vomiting.
• Students can sort which food will make a dog sick.
• Students can describe how the body absorbs nutrients.

Lesson Format

Students will be reading on their own or as a class the story of Dracula getting into Halloween candy. Then, students will play a game sorting food into categories of things that Dracula can and cannot eat. You can then have a discussion with the class what they think might make Dracula sick.

Link to student page

Lesson Background:

There are many foods that are toxic to animals, specifically our canine companions. Food is chemically and mechanically digested in the stomach to help nutrients become available for absorption. Certain molecular compounds can cause animals to vomit if they are perceived as toxic. Some compounds become absorbed and then cause an issue in other organs. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, these chemicals will travel to the liver and compete with necessary molecules. By blocking pathways in the liver, the body is unable to breakdown other toxins and metabolites as needed.

Other foods that are toxic to dogs that can be used in this activity are: onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, coffee, chewing gum.

Assessment:

Students will take a quiz at the end of the lesson to test for understanding.

Further exploration

Other chapters within this textbook may be interesting for students. Some options can be found linked below:

Melon’s Miraculous Christmas

Chicken Nugget’s Tummy Troubles