Chocolate can kill dogs
With the bank holiday Easter weekend fast approaching, we at the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, are reminding dog owners to keep chocolate out of reach of our four-legged friends.
As Easter eggs and other tasty cocoa treats find their way into homes, we want to raise awareness of the continued risk that the consumption of chocolate poses to our canine companions.
Our Veterinary Surgeon, Josie Cocks, explains the importance of not allowing dogs to eat human chocolate.
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, so owners should ensure they keep it out of reach of their four-legged friends.
Whilst some chocolate is more toxic than others, any amount is potentially harmful to your dog.
If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, we advise owners to contact their vets immediately.
Chocolate poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, excitability, drooling, seizures and potentially kidney and heart failure.
Our advice is: Never give your dog any human chocolate as a treat. Ensure that children and visitors understand why and adhere to this rule too.
Make sure that bins are dog-proof to prevent them scavenging through rubbish.
Never leave any chocolate unsupervised, such as cakes cooling on worktop surfaces.
Teach your dog to move away from something when you ask them to “leave it”. This valuable life skill will come in handy if your dog reaches for something they shouldn’t have.
Keep a close eye on your dog whilst out walking, to avoid them scoffing discarded food that is potentially harmful.
Although our canine companions won’t be eating human chocolate, there are plenty of other ways for them to enjoy the holiday weekend. such as taking them on their own Easter hunt around the house or garden, that includes dogfriendly treats.
You could also use Easter egg boxes to hide their toys or treats in for them to sniff out.
For more information and advice visit https:// www.dogstrust.org.uk/ advice