It’s nearly Christmas time and this means chocolate! Over the Christmas period there is likely to be more chocolate around the household than usual, which means our pets sometimes getting a hold of it.
Chocolate contains theobromine that is highly toxic to our pets. The levels of theobromine do vary depending on the type of chocolate, dark chocolate being the most concentrated.
Symptoms of Chocolate Toxicity
Dogs are more commonly known to ingest chocolate rather than cats, mainly because cats are more finicky eaters. Symptoms to watch out for if your pet has consumed any chocolate can include:
- Restlessness
- Excitement
- Hyperactivity
- Nervousness
- Trembling
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Increased drinking
- Urination
- Increased heart rate and muscle tremors
- Seizures
- Possible death
It is important you seek Veterinary assistance or advice as soon as possible. The Veterinarian will suggest to induce vomiting if your pet has consumed chocolate in the past 2 hours. If it has been longer than 2 hours activated charcoal will be administered to stop further absorption of the toxin.
If your pet is already showing signs of toxicity, medication is given to reduce the severity of seizures and tremors that could lead to dangerous heart conditions. Chocolate ingestion can sometimes be fatal if the right medication and treatment is not given soon after ingestion.
Please contact any of our 2 locations if your pet may have consumed chocolate this festive season!
You may also like
Jervis Bay Re-opening Saturdays
Saturday mornings are returning at Jervis Bay soon! We are excited to announce that we will be reopening our Jervis Bay Veterinary Clinic on Saturday mornings! It has been a few years since we've been open on Saturdays, and we understand that it can be...
Batteries are Dangerous!
Sally presented to our Jervis Bay Clinic recently after her owners caught her eating the batteries of a hearing aid! Batteries contain an acidic material that can cause severe ulceration to exposed tissues and necrosis of the gastrointestinal tract. Radiographs...
Rehabilitation
Dr Sam Singleton provides her expertise in rehabilitation programs that assist dogs and cats during the recovery process from injuries, surgery and musculoskeletal conditions.