May 15, 2025, 9:31 am | Read time: 5 minutes
PETBOOK editor Louisa Stoeffler believes that the final hour in a pet’s life is not the time for sentimental gestures at the expense of the animal’s health. Chocolate for dying dogs and cats? That’s not comforting—it’s misguided affection for animals.
I’ve had to say goodbye to many pets. The last petting, the lingering gaze, the silence that follows—these are moments that leave a lasting impression. Forever. But one thing is clear to me: Dying dogs and cats need love and closeness in their final moments—but certainly not chocolate.
Where the idea comes from
And yet there are veterinary practices that do just that: They offer so-called “goodbye kisses”—a piece of chocolate as “sweet comfort” on the final journey. The Smiths Station Animal Hospital even writes on their Facebook page that a jar of Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses, a well-known candy in the U.S., is reserved for their euthanasia patients. “[B]ecause no dog should go to heaven without tasting chocolate.”
This post has been circulating online, bringing many to tears who have lost a pet. However, it’s quickly apparent: It’s not about the needs of the animal, but about human grief. This leaves me speechless.
Not only because chocolate can be life-threatening for dogs and cats, but because it’s a form of anthropomorphism that occurs at a moment when we bear significant responsibility—not for our feelings, but for the well-being of the animal. What many seem to forget: Chocolate is poison for our beloved pets—and we don’t give it to them for good reasons while they’re still healthy.
“Goodbye kisses” with Neurotoxin
The substance that makes chocolate so pleasant for us humans is called theobromine. For us, it has a mildly stimulating effect, similar to caffeine. But dogs and cats can hardly metabolize this substance—it remains in their bodies for hours and irritates the central nervous system. The veterinary school at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen lists the symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs and cats:
- Balance disorders
- Gait abnormalities
- Tremors
- Rapid heartbeat
- Seizures
The stimulation from theobromine is too much for the nervous system of most animals. Beke Enderstein, a nutritionist and expert, also warns in her contribution to us that cocoa and chocolate should be reserved for the pet owner alone:
If an unsupervised dog secretly eats a few chocolates from the table, it can lead to digestive issues like vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures with balance disorders and tremors. At higher doses, rapid heartbeat and seizures are observed. In the worst case, the dog’s death from heart failure cannot be ruled out.
Too Much Chocolate Quickly Replaces the Euthanasia Drug
As little as 20 to 30 milligrams of theobromine per kilogram of body weight can trigger initial symptoms. At 100 milligrams, it can be fatal. Then, a euthanasia drug is no longer needed, but the dog or cat dies from poisoning accompanied by seizures.
I wonder: How can we knowingly subject a dying animal to this? Would we give ourselves a dose of Novichok just before death to know what it feels like?
What Really Matters in the End?
Even though I just got very drastic: I do understand the gesture. I understand the thought: “One last treat before it’s over.” But chocolate is not a treat. It’s not an act of care—it’s a risky misstep. And if the pet is already weakened, ill, or sedated, even a small amount of chocolate can mean additional suffering. Why would I do that to my best friend at the end?
It’s not about whether the animal “is going to die anyway.” That attitude is cynical. It’s about how it dies—in what condition, with what sensations, with what level of dignity. Chocolate is not a symbol of love if it brings suffering.
True Love for Animals Is Shown in Restraint
We humans often find it difficult to let things be, especially in moments that serve the animal rather than ourselves. Dying dogs and cats don’t need a “last chocolate kiss.” They need us. They need love, closeness, and courage.
If we can’t be strong for the animal in its final moments, that’s human. But at the very least, we shouldn’t give them something that every guide to pet health—and ours—lists as “highly toxic.”
We often find it difficult to just let things be, especially when they happen for the sake of the animal. But a beloved toy? Maybe. A substance that is toxic in every pet health guide? Please, no.
We need to stop seeing our pets through a human lens—especially in the most sensitive moments. Dying dogs and cats don’t need a “last kiss of chocolate.” They need us. If we can’t be strong for the animal in its final moments, that’s human. But we should at least not give them something that every pet health guide—and ours—lists as “highly toxic.”
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A Call to Pet Owners and Veterinarians
Therefore, I hope that veterinary practices critically engage with this issue. And that owners ask themselves: Is this gesture for my pet or for me? When it comes to saying goodbye, less is sometimes more. A look, a comforting pet. A voice they know. That’s the last kiss dogs and cats really need. No more—but certainly no less.