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With holidays (Easter) coming up, it is important to remember that certain ‘human foods’ may be toxic to dogs.
Chocolate is one of the most commonly consumed toxic items by pets during holiday periods.
Chocolate contains the chemicals caffeine and theobromine, both belonging to the class of methylxanthines.
Both these compounds have a stimulating effect on the bodies of dogs and cats similar to humans, but much more pronounced.
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The compounds can cause an animal to show symptoms of excitation or hyperactivity, anxiety, shivering, panting, pacing, increased heart rate, diarrhoea, seizures and even death may result from chocolate ingestion.
A general rule of thumb is the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it potentially may be to an animal, ie. an amount of dark chocolate would be more toxic to a dog when consumed, compared to if the same amount of white chocolate.
This is important to know, as an animal that has consumed dark chocolate needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Depending on the time from ingestion to presenting to a veterinary clinic, the veterinarian will usually make the dog (or cat) vomit in order to decontaminate the stomach and ensure no further absorption of the chocolate or toxic compound can occur.
Depending on the weight of the animal and the amount of chocolate consumed, the animal may need to undergo further testing including a blood test, and may need to stay in hospital on a drip to assist the body in dealing with the toxins.
Other commonly ingested items during holiday periods include toys and foreign bodies, fatty foods (hams, roasts and barbecue meats) and hot cross buns (especially the raisins/sultanas in them).
If you have any concerns that your pet may have consumed a foreign object or toxic compound, call the friendly team at AHT vets in Thornlands on 3286 7888.
The clinic is open every day during the Easter period. Public holiday trading hours are from 9am to noon.