Vet warns about the danger of chocolate over Easter
GAWS head vet Ruth Dover warns pet owners to keep chocolates out of reach to avoid expensive vet bills this Easter
Geelong
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Easter is approaching and every dog owner will need to keep the treats out of dog reach.
GAWS head vet Ruth Dover said chocolate contained both methylxanthines (or theobromine) and caffeine, both of which can speed up the heart rate and stimulate dogs’ nervous systems.
“It can make a dog very sick,” she said.
“Dogs should never be fed chocolate as a treat but if you want them to join in Easter celebrations, a dog-safe alternative to chocolate is carob, which is just as tasty to canines!”
She said the risk of your dog becoming sick from ingesting chocolate depended on the type and amount of chocolate consumed, as well as your dog’s weight.
“Dogs vary in their tolerance to the effects of chocolate,” Dr Dover said.
“Obviously, a Chihuahua eating a mars bar would suffer greater effects than a Great Dane.
“Dark chocolate and baking chocolate contain larger quantities of methylxanthines, whereas milk chocolate contains medium amounts, and white chocolate smaller amounts”
Dr Dover said knowing how much and what kind of chocolate your dog ate could you or your vet determine what to do next.
She said signs of chocolate poisoning usually appeared within 6 to 12 hours after a dog has eaten.
Symptoms could last up to 72 hours, including vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness, increased urination, tremors, elevated or abnormal heart rate, seizures or collapse and death.
She said older dogs and dogs with heart conditions were more at risk of sudden death from chocolate poisoning.
“Have your Easter egg hunt in a dog-free area,” she said.
“Keep chocolate out of reach of dogs.” and “watch out for kids feeding dogs chocolate.”
She said the “leave it” command is easy to teach and extremely effective in preventing dogs from eating something they shouldn’t.
Dr Dover said if you believed your dog had eaten chocolate or was showing signs of toxicity, call your veterinarian.
Other foods which are bad for dogs are caffeine, cooked bones, onions, grapes, sultanas, raisins, alcohol, and macadamia nuts.
Originally published as Vet warns about the danger of chocolate over Easter
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