With Valentine’s Day and Easter behind us, we are through one of the most dangerous times of year to be a hungry dog: chocolate season.
This year it was a close call for our springer spaniel though, and we, of all people, should know better.
We had a lovely cocker cross who, at 6 years old, got his nose into a cupboard that was left open a crack. He and his “giant lab brother” helped themselves to a bag of chocolate chips.
When I arrived home I cleaned up the mess, and provided the dogs with fresh water.
If I had known more, that day would have ended very differently.
That evening our little spaniel was looking a bit worse for wear. He was panting, and uncomfortable. In our mind, we weren’t surprised since he had eaten things he shouldn’t have before. We were anticipating a night of midnight vomiting and “bathroom breaks”
As we let him out on the porch before bed, we were nose to nose with a racoon trying to break into our pantry. Our little spaniel, defender that he always was, took off after the racoon.
We found him a few minutes later in the garden, heart stopped, not breathing. I rushed him inside, but in seconds he was gone.
We rushed him and the other dog to the emergency vet clinic, ever hopeful. Alas, our poor little spaniel died of arrhythmia from the chocolate, and our lab was treated with activated charcoal and kept at the vets overnight.
Years later chocolate is one of our greatest fears to our dogs, so this Easter afternoon, as our son came down the stairs complaining that our spaniel had eat ALL his easter chocolate, we went on high alert.
A few things to know about chocolate toxicity:
– Dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate. The higher the quality, and % of cocoa, the more deadly it is.
– the ONLY way to treat chocolate toxicity is with activated charcoal at the vet. (this is especially bad on an easter sunday!)
We assessed the situation.
Most of little dudes chocolate was lower quality milk, and I felt he had eaten more than he was admitting to, before the dog got it it.
A lot of the chocolate had “caramel” inside, so lots of sugar, but less “poison”
The dog that did the eating is blind, and a solid beast. She carries extra pounds around, and feeds on chicken poo in the garden. If ANYONE could handle eating chocolate, she could (reminds me of our pug that ate rat poison and had no ill affects: iron gut)
We encouraged our dog to drink a bowl of milk and then “helped” her vomit. An hour later she vomited up the rest of the contents of her stomach and we KNEW we were in the clear.
In the end, even if you understand the risk, it is HARD for the kids to remember how deadly chocolate can be to dogs, so keep these tips in mind before the next chocolate themed holiday comes your way:
1. Store chocolate out of reach, and in cupboards OFF the floor. Closed doors don’t always stop eager dogs.
2. Gift milk chocolate, instead of dark, the less dangerous variety
3. Provide your dog with dog friendly snacks of their own, including homemade biscuits and toys to keep their bellies full and minds entertained.
4. Feed them a high quality food like Petcurean to maintain great health, so even if they do fall ill, they are in their best shape to come out of it.
5. Keep the numbers of your emergency vet handy, as well as a pet first aid kit available. Be prepared for ALL incidents.
6. Watch them! Keep an eye on your pet, and be aware of any changes in their behaviour. Be ready to respond!!
Losing a pet is never okay, and having a traumatic event such a chocolate poisoning be the cause can make it even more difficult. The most important thing to remember is that YOU know your pet. Watch their behaviour, and be sure to take the right steps in maintaining their health.
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