The truth about PETS & CHOCOLATE
Easter eggs are very dangerous for dogs and cats – here’s what to do if they find your stash
Eating chocolate might bring you a lot of joy, but it could be the source of heartache instead if your cat or dog nds your supply of Easter eggs. Unfortunately, chocolate consumption is poisonous for pets and can even be fatal.
Dr Michael Yazbeck, veterinary director at Greencross Vets, says he tends to see more dogs than cats su ering chocolate poisoning since cats are more discerning about what they’ll nibble on.
“Most of the cases we see are dogs that have gotten into a stash of chocolate and been sneaky about it,” he explains.
“e only reason we know about it is because the wrappers are there – the evidence is left out – or, in unfortunate cases, when they’re starting to show clinical signs of chocolate toxicity.”
ere are two compounds in chocolate that wreak havoc on dog and cat bodies, including heart function: theobromine and ca eine.
“e more concentrated or dark the chocolate is, the worse it is,” says Dr Yazbeck. “So dark chocolate is far more toxic than white chocolate or milk chocolate.”
With lots of sweet treats around at this time of year, it’s essential that pet owners keep them out of paw’s reach. It’s also important to know what to do if you discover that your furry friend has been eating chocolate.
IS A LITTLE CHOCOLATE OK?
Dr Yazbeck says treating chocolate toxicity is dose-dependent – a little chocolate might not be fatal, but you should still get your pet treated, even if they’re not showing symptoms of poisoning.
“I think the safest option is to go to the vet because there may be things happening clinically in the dog’s body that you’re unaware of – on a heart level, for example, like changes in rhythm, changes in temperature and neurologically.”
e vet will need to know what type of chocolate your pet ate and approximately how much.
“If you’ve got the wrapper, bring that in, and hopefully [we can assess] the amount – so if you know there was a full block and half of it’s missing, that’s really valuable information,” explains Dr Yazbeck. “Using that information and the body weight of the pet, we can work out how likely it is to cause a problem.”