What will happen if I give a rat chocolate? - briefly
Chocolate contains theobromine, which rats process extremely slowly, leading to vomiting, tremors, accelerated heart rate, and potentially fatal seizures. Even modest quantities can be lethal, so chocolate must never be given to a rat.
What will happen if I give a rat chocolate? - in detail
Feeding chocolate to a rat introduces theobromine and caffeine, both methylxanthines that rats metabolize much more slowly than humans. The compounds bind to adenosine receptors, increase cyclic AMP, and stimulate the central nervous system, leading to a cascade of physiological disturbances.
At low amounts (approximately 5 mg theobromine per kilogram of body weight), a rat may exhibit mild hyperactivity, increased heart rate, and slight diuresis. As the dose rises toward 50 mg kg⁻¹, signs become more severe: tremors, muscle rigidity, vomiting, and diarrhea appear. Blood pressure may drop, and cardiac arrhythmias develop due to prolonged ventricular repolarization. Doses exceeding 100 mg kg⁻¹ often result in seizures, respiratory depression, and rapid progression to death.
The toxicity threshold varies with chocolate type. Dark chocolate contains 5–15 mg theobromine per gram, whereas milk chocolate holds 1–2 mg g⁻¹. Consequently, a 30‑gram piece of dark chocolate can deliver a lethal dose to a 200‑gram rat, while the same mass of milk chocolate is less likely to be fatal but still capable of causing serious clinical signs.
Clinical management requires immediate intervention. Steps include:
- Decontamination: Gastric lavage or activated charcoal within the first hour to reduce absorption.
- Supportive care: Intravenous fluids to correct dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
- Cardiac monitoring: Continuous ECG to detect arrhythmias; anti‑arrhythmic drugs administered as needed.
- Seizure control: Benzodiazepines to suppress convulsions.
- Thermoregulation: Maintain body temperature to prevent hypothermia from systemic shock.
Prophylaxis is straightforward: exclude all chocolate products from laboratory animal diets and storage areas. If accidental exposure occurs, calculate the ingested theobromine dose, compare it to the known lethal thresholds, and initiate the above treatment protocol without delay.