Becareful with your dog's easter treats

As a dog owner you probably already know that chocolate is toxic to dogs. Since we’re getting closer to Easter we thought it was time to remind you to keep those tasty chocolates eggs out of paws reach!

It’s important that everyone who comes into contact with your dog knows not to give into those begging eyes and hand over that chocolate! If you’re leaving your dog alone while you pop out shopping or visiting family, double check to make sure that all chocolate is out of dog’s reach, either on a top shelf or in another closed off room. You’d be amazed at how high up a big dog can reach, and how far a small dog is willing to go to get up on to that table and help themselves.

Chocolate is a very common poison to dogs, mostly causing problems during the Easter, Christmas and Halloween periods when there are bowls of delicious treats left on tables.

Chocolate contains theobromine, which is a stimulant related to caffeine – it’s harmless to us humans, but for dogs it is toxic and can actually prove to be fatal. Theobromine is contained in higher concentration in plain chocolate and lower concentration in white chocolate. What it takes for a dog to be poisoned by chocolate varies greatly due to the many different sizes of dogs. However, as a guide, 50g of plain chocolate contains enough theobromine to be fatal to a Yorkshire Terrier. An average sized dog, such as a Collie could be killed by consuming 415g of plain chocolate.

If you think your dog may have gotten their greedy paws on some chocolate then the symptoms to watch out for are:

Vomiting (often blood)

Diarrhoea

Excessive thirst

Restlessness

Excitability

Increased urination

Excessive panting

Slowed heart rate

Convulsions (in later stages)

If your dog displays any of these symptoms then it is vital you get in touch with your vet ASAP. The good news is, if caught early enough the symptoms of theobromine poisoning can be treated.

The best way to avoid any such problems is to remember that a change of diet in dogs can cause an upset stomach. So if you want to treat your dog this Easter, make sure you give them a natural biscuit treat especially made for dogs – they’ll love you for it (especially those with a carob topping!)! With plenty of tasty dog treats to go around you won’t have to worry about leaving them out, and it means you get to keep all that scrumptious chocolate to yourself too - perfect!

Becareful with your dog's easter treats

Written by Kimberly Rothwell.

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