With The Easter Weekend Fast approaching, Most of us are busily preparing what and who to invite to our Easter Festivities. Let's not However forget that for most of us who have dogs at home, easter could be one of the deadliest times for Dogs, because of the dangers that even a small amount of chocolate could pose to dogs when ingested. The main ingredient in chocolate Theobromine found in cocoa doesn't digest that quickly in dogs as it does in Human which leads to interference in the normals functions of the central nervous system, kidneys and the heart. If there's no timely and appropriate intervention this could ultimately lead to death of your beloved pooch. Don't let chocolate ingestion by your dog spoil your easter weekend and end up at the E.R.
To avoid any accidents altogether one of the most important preventive measures is to keep all your chocolates in a safe place away from your dog this easter weekend, if your dog can reach, can see where you put your chocolate or can even smell it, it's more likely they will get it, so a safe place means out of reach and out of sight.
If at any time you suspect your Dog has eaten chocolate or you find your chocolate missing and you think your Dog could be the culprit please don't hesitate to seek immediate Vet care for your Dog, just make sure to inform your Vet just how much and what type of chocolate your Dog has consumed, if you can take the chocolate packaging with you to the Vets office it will be very helpful to determine the right or immediate treatment to give your Dog.
Mostly one of the first signs your Dog will show it has consumed chocolate is they will start vomiting, or have diarrhoea, or they may show excessive excitement or even Thirst. They may also start to drool, their heartbeat may start to race beyond normal or in severe cases they may have seizures, don't wait until it reaches a seizure before you act, as soon as you suspect your dog is sick because of chocolate consumption, don't second guess or wait till you see any of these symptoms, save yourself the heartache of having to watch your pooch die, and take them to the Vet immediately.
More often than not it is the dark chocolates which have more theobromine in them that are more likely to be harmful to your dog, although the ones with less chocolate or even white chocolates may be safer they can still make your dog sick. The rule of thumb here is for the few days of easter where chocolate is abundant everywhere if you have a dog, keep them "out of smell, out of touch and out of sight".
Although there's hardly any antidote for chocolate poisoning in Dogs, treatment is symptomatic, so the earlier you seek treatment for your dog, the higher their chances are of a full recovery.
The safest thing to do is give your dog Doggy Friendly treats if you don't want the trouble.