Finn's Corner

March 2015

You have all seen the oreo tv advertisement where the child says “Mum said chocolate isn’t good for dogs,” and this could not be more true. With the Easter weekend fast approaching please be sure to keep any of those hidden chocolate eggs well out of reach from your beloved pets. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, which if ingested can also lead to a variety of medical complications. In large quantities they can even be fatal for your dog or cat. The amount and type of chocolate ingested is also important, as different types of chocolate contain varying levels of caffeine and theobromine. Baking Chocolate contains the highest concentration of the two properties and therefore only small amounts of this type of chocolate are toxic. However, in the right quantities any type of chocolate can become toxic for any pet.

If your pet does ingest chocolate then the symptoms to look out for include:

Vomiting

Diarrhoea

High temperature

Rapid breathing

Increased heart rate

Low blood pressure

 

 

More severe signs depending on the level of toxicity include:

Weakness

Siezures

Coma

Heart Failure

 

 

If you think or know that your pet has ingested chocolate please call your local vet immediately.

More information can be found at PetMD website accessed at http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_chocolate_toxicity

and

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/digestive/c_ct_chocolate_toxicity