With Easter just around the corner, it’s not only the kids who are drawn to chocolate — our dogs seem to love it just as much! Coming home to find your furry friend has helped themselves to chocolate eggs can be scary, and it’s not just their waistline that can suffer. Chocolate contains theobromine (and sometimes caffeine), which is toxic to dogs — and cats aren’t completely safe either. Signs of toxicity can appear anywhere from two to twelve hours after ingestion. Mild symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, but larger amounts can cause serious problems like muscle tremors, a racing heart, abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, and in extreme cases, even death.

So, what should you do if your dog manages to sneak some chocolate? The first step is to work out what type of chocolate they ate. Was it white, milk, dark, or cooking chocolate? How much did they eat, and roughly when? Knowing your dog’s weight is also essential, because the risk depends on both the amount of chocolate consumed and the size of your dog. A few small milk chocolate eggs in a Labrador might not be a major concern, but the same amount of dark chocolate could be life-threatening for a tiny Chihuahua.

If your dog is already showing signs of chocolate poisoning, it’s best to jump in the car and call us on the way to the clinic so we can be ready for your arrival. If they seem okay, give us a call with all the details — what type of chocolate, how much, when it was eaten, and your dog’s weight — so we can guide you on the next steps. In some cases, we may ask you to bring your dog in so we can safely induce vomiting, but timing is critical. Chocolate passes from the stomach to the small intestines within four to five hours, and once it’s gone, we may miss the chance to remove it safely.

The final piece of advice? Keep chocolate far, far, far away from dogs. They are surprisingly agile when it comes to finding sweet treats, from kitchen benches to hidden Easter baskets, and they don’t need much encouragement to dig in. Prevention really is the sweetest solution!