即使你没有养狗，你可能也知道他们不能吃巧克力。巧克力对犬科动物（就这一点来说，还有猫科动物）而言，是最为人所熟知的有毒物质之一。然而巧克力中究竟是什么东西对狗有如此大的毒性呢？
犬科动物：n. canine; 猫科动物：n. feline
Even if you don't have a dog, you probably know that they can't eat chocolate. It's one of most well-known toxic substances for canine ( and feline, for that matter ). But just what is it about chocolate that is so toxic to dogs?
这主要涉及到的是巧克力中所蕴含的一种化学物质——可可碱，人类很容易代谢这种物质，但是狗却不能。美国兽医协会会长迈克.托珀告诉《心理牙线》杂志说：“狗不能像人类那样快速分解可可碱，因此，狗食用这种化学物质会引起疾病。”
可可碱：n. theobromine
新陈代谢：v. metabolize
兽医的：adj.veterinary
It comes down to theobromine, a chemical in chocolate that humans can metabolize easily but dogs cannot.“They can't break it down as fast as humans and so therefore, when they consume it, it can cause illness.” Mike Topper, president of American Veterinary Medical Association, tells Mantel Floss.
狗对这种物质新陈代谢缓慢，其导致的中毒反应包括轻微的胃部不适、癫痫发作、心力衰竭甚至死亡。如果你的狗吃了巧克力，他们可能会出现口渴、腹泻、身体多动以及颤抖的情况。如果情况变得非常糟糕，这种多动状态可能会演变成癫痫，进而发展成心率失常、心脏病发作。
腹泻：n. diarrhea; 癫痫：n. seizure
心律不齐：n. arrhythmia
It toxic efforts of this slow metabolization can range from wild upset stomach to seizures, heart failure, and even death. If your dog does eat chocolate, they might get thirsty, have diarrhea, and become hyperactivity and shaky. If things get really bad, that hyperactivity can turn into seizures, and they could develop an arrhythmian and have a heart attack.
虽然猫对可可碱更敏感，但他们一开始就不太可能吃巧克力。因为他们更加挑食，而且一些研究发现它们尝不到甜味。另一方面，不管你在吃啥，狗更有可能坐在你的脚边，睁着忧郁的大眼睛，乞求尝一尝你所吃的事物，这其中就包括巧克力。（我们也知道，当你不注意的时候，狗狗还会把巧克力从柜台子上抡打下来。）
While cats are more sensitive to theobromine, they are less likely to eat chocolate in the first place. They are much more picky eaters, and some research has found that they can't taste sweetness. Dogs, on the other hand, are much more likely to sit at your feet with those big, mournful eyes begging for a taste of whatever you are eating, including chocolate. (They are also have been known to just swipe it off the counter when you're not looking.)
如果你的狗狗将你喜欢的巧克力糖块拿去吃掉了，最好在两个小时内将它送到兽医那里。可可碱代谢缓慢，“因为，如果我们能把可可碱从狗狗的胃里取出来，需要代谢的量就会减少。”托珀说。兽医也许能对狗进行呕吐引导，并给狗服用药用活性碳来阻止其对可可碱的吸收。静脉输液也可以帮助将其排出狗的体外，从而使狗狗幸免于难。
If your dog gets a hold of your favorite candy bar, it's best to get them to the vet within two hours. The theobromine is metabolized slowly, “therefore, if we can get it out of the stomach there will be less there to metabolize.”Topper says. Your vet might be able to induce vomiting and give activated charcoal to block absorption of the theobromine. Intravenous fluids can also help flush
