Can Squirrels Eat Chocolate? Explained by Animalfunkey

Can Squirrels Eat Chocolate? Well, chocolate is something that everyone would like to eat. It is not only loved by humans but also by animals. In 2018, on the top list of the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), chocolate had declared a toxin for pet animals. But now the question is can squirrels eat chocolates? Is chocolate harmful to squirrels, or can chocolate be toxic to squirrels?

In this blog, we will discuss all these queries in detail about whether chocolate harms squirrels.

Do Squirrels Eat Chocolates?

As we discussed above, chocolate is liked by animals as humans. And you have often seen squirrels how clever and fast they are. If you give them a chance, they may snatch the chocolate from you and eat it. Squirrels enjoy eating chocolates. But an alkaloid called theobromine can be harmful to squirrels and most mammals. 

Some chocolates contain less theobromine, like white chocolates, so they are less toxic to them. The eaten quantity of the chocolate can also determine toxicity; if chocolate is consumed in high amounts, it can affect the digestive system of squirrels and other mammals.

If the squirrels eat chocolate in high quantities, theobromine may be eliminated from the body of the squirrels, which can become lethal for them.

It is essential not to give chocolates to squirrels because excessive chocolate can be deadly for them. So please give them a pure and safer diet like nuts, berries, and fruits that they also like.

Can Chocolates be Poisonous to Squirrels?

Chocolate is a poison that is not safer for squirrels and other mammals, and a high amount of chocolate can kill them. It is better to give them their regular diet. But squirrels are survivalists and don’t eat dangerous food excessively until they don’t find good sources for their diet.

To know the toxicity of a substance, there is a way called lethal dose 50% (LD50). LD50 can also be defined as the concentration needed to kill 50% of the population. We can estimate the amount of poison in a particular substance. 

LD50 of theobromine in humans is around 1000 mg/kg body mass. If we examine that the squirrels also have the same as ours, it means that 50% of all 500g squirrels will die if 0.5g of theobromine enters their internal body system.

Milk chocolate contains a minimum of 1.5-2.0g/kg theobromine, but dark chocolate contains 15g/kg or more. Imagine squirrels eat dark chocolates frequently, and the theobromine constantly goes into their system. It will prove very dangerous.

Excessive eating of chocolates can cause theobromine poisoning in animals. Then the animals may suffer from diseases like trembling, hyperactivity, seizure, tremors, diarrhea, abnormal heartbeats, and even death.

Can Squirrels Eat Dark Chocolates?

Dark chocolates contain high amounts of theobromine, usually found in milk chocolate. Squirrels can often digest chocolates if eaten in less quantity, and it will not harm them as well. 

But if chocolates like dark chocolates contain high amounts of theobromine and caffeine, that will be more dangerous for them. The theobromine in chocolates can be calculated as milligrams per ounce

• Dark chocolates contain 135 mg/oz
• White chocolates contain 40-60 mg/oz
• Milk chocolates contain 0.25 mg/oz
• Sweet chocolate candies contain 175 mg/oz
• Baking chocolate contains 376 mg per square ounce

So now you can guess which type of chocolate contains more theobromine and which less. 

Can Squirrels Eat White Chocolates?

You can’t call it pure chocolate because it is made of sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, and other milk products. White chocolates don’t contain cocoa solids that give the chocolate a dark color and bitter taste. It means that white chocolate doesn’t have theobromine compared to dark chocolate. So it is not toxic for them, and we can consider it safe for squirrels.

But on the other hand, white chocolate also contains a high quantity of sweet sugar and palm oil that can harm squirrels. High sugar in white chocolate can lead to diabetes, gain in weight, and urinary infection.

So if it is seen this way, it can’t be healthy for squirrels. It is not recommended to give squirrels white chocolate. You can feed them other things like apples and berries that are sweeter.  

Can Squirrels Eat Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Usually, squirrels don’t eat chocolate chip cookies, but if you offer them, they can’t stop. Have you ever seen them eating chocolate chip cookies? If you haven’t seen it, then whenever you see them eating chocolate chips, maybe someone fed them, or perhaps someone dropped it on the ground, and they picked it up. 

But these chocolate chip cookies are not suitable for squirrels’ health because the ingredients used for making chocolate chip cookies include sugar and dark chocolate chips, so it is not healthy for not only squirrels but all mammals. Other non-dairy butter substitutes, like margarine, are used in making cookies.

The level of theobromine and caffeine in chocolate chip cookies depends on the number of cookies. If they are fed with these cookies, their body system will get disturbed, and it may result in stomach issues. Consequently, it is not beneficial for squirrels.

Can Squirrels Eat Chocolate Cake?

Cakes can disturb their digestive system, and don’t feed them with cakes, sweets, or Nutella. The chocolate cake also contains a significant amount of theobromine, and also dark chocolate is mixed with chocolate cake while baking, which is dangerous for squirrels. It also contains unhealthy ingredients like sugar. 

If squirrels are fed chocolate cake, it may result in severe health issues such as stomach issues and seizures.

What is the Best Diet For Squirrels?

We have seen that chocolates and sweets are unsuitable for squirrels’ health. If they are fed chocolates, they may face severe health issues. Even if squirrels eat excessive dark chocolate, it may lead them to death. But the question is, what is the best and healthy diet for squirrels that we can feed them? Many things are beneficial for squirrels, and they also like them.

1- Vegetarian Diet

High-calcium vegetarian food like beet greens, chicory, cabbage, kale, collard green, mustard spinach, radishes, squash, watercress, and many more. Vegetarian diets include broccoli, avocado, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, and sweet potatoes. You should avoid feeding them dry vegetables, fresh corn, garlic, and yams.

2- High-Protein Food

Squirrels like high-protein animal food like cricket, moths, and dried mealworms. These insects are a good source for providing high protein that is healthy for them. You can also feed them with dairy products like yogurt and cheese.

3- Fruits

There are many fruits that squirrels often eat in their daily life, such as berries, blackberries, blueberries, melons, apricot, and apples. But make sure not to feed them excessively because most fruits contain sugars so you can hold them with a piece of fruit once or twice per week.

Please do not feed them with seeds and pits because they are highly toxic for them.

4- Nuts

Nuts are the best diet for squirrels, which is also their favorite—nuts like acorns, almonds, peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and pistachios. But it would be best to avoid dried corn, cashews, and pine nuts.

These diets are very healthy for squirrels because they contain high levels of protein and calcium, so instead of giving chocolates to them, you should feed them with these diets.   

FAQs

Conclusion

Chocolate is something that someone could never refuse to eat. It has a sweet taste that everyone enjoys. Like squirrels, they also eat chocolates a lot if you give them; they are such clever rodents and can eat everything you offer them. Even if they find something down, they pick it up and start eating. But they don’t know how dangerous chocolates are for their health, so you should take care of this at least you don’t give chocolates to them. 

Do squirrels eat chocolates or not; everything has been cleared in this blog. We have explained everything about chocolates, whether it is dangerous for their health. So we have described everything in this blog regarding our topic.

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