Some dogs (and people) will eat whatever is put in front of them. And while some foods may seem like tasty treats, they could do far more harm than good. Chocolate, for instance, can be deadly.
Why chocolate is bad for dogs
Source: Pond5
Look at that face! Is there an open box of chocolates nearby? Quick, put it away.
Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, compounds that belong to a group of chemicals known as methylxanthines. The darker the chocolate, the higher the amount of methylxanthines and the greater the risk of it being toxic to a dog. Symptoms of poisoning generally depend on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate it ate.
I recently interviewed veterinarian Dr. Tom Netland, who owns the Cumberland Animal Clinic, about pet safety tips. He told me that he sees a lot of chocolate poisoning in dogs over the Christmas holidays when there’s a lot of candy around.The same might hold true for Valentine’s Day or soon after. “We’ve had a number of cases where candy was wrapped and dogs could smell it and they tore into it and got chocolate toxicity. We don’t see it much in cats because cats are sort of fastidious about what they eat. Even if a cat has a big box of chocolates in front of them, they usually wouldn’t eat it. Dogs would eat the whole thing!”
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning
- Vomiting
- Increased thirst
- Abdominal discomfort
- Restlessness
- Severe agitation
- Muscle tremors
- Irregular heart rhythm
- High body temperature
- Seizures
- Death
If you have any concerns at all, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. I also found a Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter on petMD.com. You enter your dog’s weight, the type of chocolate and amount consumed and it will let you know the level of toxicity.
Better yet, take my grandmother’s advice. She used to say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If you’re a dog owner and got a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates from your sweetheart, share the love by storing what’s left where your salivating pooch can’t get at them. (Of course, if you’re like me, the box is already empty!)
jill111 / Pixabay
Love to you all — and your doggies. What kind of dog do you have? Right now, I don’t have one, just four cats. And they turn their noses up at chocolate!
I grew up with a collie, Lassie, and I don’t remember having to restrict her diet for all these things. But I was always frightened when my Dad would give her the pork chop bones from the table. She would crunch them up until they reached swallowing size. Sometimes one would get stuck in her throat and she’d gag. Scared the daylights out of us, but Dad was a doctor so he would fix the problem. What a scary thing to do. Do NOT feed dogs bones that have sharp points.
Thank you. Very informative and meter is great!