Everybody loves special holidays such as Valentines Day, Easter or Christmas and the delicious chocolate that come along with it. So that your dog can share join in the celebrations with you, why not buy him special chocolate? Can you tell us in which country this cured meat product was invented? Grilling meat is one of the oldest, simplest and easiest kinds of cookery in the world. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is found in many kinds of chocolate. Many people have chocolate all year round. It’s often quite difficult to know when and how much chocolate a dog has eaten, especially if all you have is a pile of shiny wrappers. As much as pet owners like to share holiday treats and goodies with our four-legged friends, we must never share our chocolates as dogs and chocolate do not mix. Whilst holiday times generally mean more chocolate and sweets around the house. Can Chocolate Kill a Dog? Signs of chocolate poisoning can start to present within just a few minutes or not be apparent for several hours, so if you know for certain or suspect it has been eaten, it is imperative to contact your Vet immediately.
Since it’s hard to determine how much chocolate your dog has eaten and the potency of the cocoa it contains, you should take your dog to the vet immediately if you suspect they have eaten chocolate. How much chocolate is in each candy bar? It depends on your dog’s size and how much chocolate they’ve consumed. Let’s go back to how chocolate is made. However, when consumed by a dog, larger amounts of chocolate can have devastating effects. Many dogs and teething puppies would also prefer frozen blueberries, especially when they live in hot climates, but these are also worse than raw blueberries and can cause more tummy troubles than the latter. If your dog eats more than a few ounces of it, it’s likely they’re going to experience gastrointestinal upset like diarrhea and vomiting. If your dog eats just a small amount of human chocolate, he will probably have diarrhoea or vomit with an upset tummy. Our four-legged friends are likely to experience many terrible symptoms as a result of eating more than just a tiny amount of chocolate. However, their symptoms can be far more severe if enough chocolate is consumed.
The severity of the effects varies by case, and while it may only leave some dogs with diarrhoea, others can end up with more severe long-term effects such as cardiovascular problems and seizures. So, while as a little girl, I had the dog’s best taste interests at heart, it’s definitely a good thing my grandparents stopped me from feeding their poodle some of my chocolate. Time is of the essence when it comes to treating your pooch, so it is best to induce vomiting and empty the contents of the stomach, ideally before the toxins have time to reach the animal’s bloodstream. • Vomiting and diarrhoea. When dogs eat chocolate, they can get sick and exhibit poisoning symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea. Sadly it can be perilous when even the smallest amount is ingested. Few dogs eat enough chocolate for it to be fatal, especially if they’re a bigger dog, but chocolate consumption can still be damaging even for the largest breed.
However, it is still best to only give them small amounts at a time. Though most adults should know better than to give caffeine to a dog as a joke, the number of «drunk dog» videos on Youtube demonstrate that some need to be told that giving dogs drinks is also a bad idea. If your dog ate a large amount — or an unknown but potentially large amount — of Baker’s or 85% dark chocolate (better safe than sorry). Prevention is better than cure? If your dog or other animal has ingested chocolate (even a small amount) you should contact your local veterinarian as soon as possible for advice. What you may not be aware of however, is that the risk to your dog after consuming chocolate is dependent on several factors such as the type of chocolate, the amount eaten and your dog’s size. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs because it contains theobromine, a caffeine-like molecule that increases blood flow to the brain which is hard for dogs to process. Keep all chocolate products out of the reach of children and dogs. However, they will not love the after-effects of having chocolate poisoning that is likely to follow.
