Scary Delicious and Scary Dangerous: Halloween Chocolates and Pets

by | Sep 26, 2017 | Pet Services

It’s Fall and for some people, that means one thing: Halloween. While the point of the holiday is to have a fun scare, there is an aspect of the holiday that can become very scary for pet parents and that is a pet accidentally poisoning themselves by ingesting chocolate. Between Halloween and the end of the year holidays, vet clinics see more than their share of toxicity cases and answer lots of questions about how dangerous this can be for pets.
People are not the only ones with a love for chocolate. Pets like chocolate too. Unfortunately, dogs do not show any restraint with how much they consume. Chocolate is also toxic to cats, but they often do not eat enough of this delicacy to cause toxicity.
Chocolate contains a group of chemicals known as methylxanthines; most specifically, theobromine and caffeine. Dogs and cats cannot tolerate the higher levels of these compounds like people can. Different types of chocolate have varying amounts of these toxic compounds:
Milk chocolate, Semi-Sweet (Bittersweet) Chocolate, Cocoa Bean Mulch, Baking Chocolate, Cocoa powder
White chocolate contains insignificant amounts of the toxic compounds, and is therefore rarely toxic.
Symptoms of chocolate toxicity depend on:
• type of chocolate eaten
• how much was eaten
Chocolate ingestion is considered an emergency. If you think that your pet has eaten chocolate, call a veterinary clinic immediately for recommendations. Time is of the essence.
Since chocolate containing foods often contain butter or milk, the high fat content can cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) in dogs. Pancreatitis causes intense abdominal pain and vomiting and requires hospitalization to recover.
To keep your pet healthy and out of the emergency room, be sure to always store chocolate containing items in a tightly sealed container far out of reach from your pet.
If your pet exhibits any of these warning signs call your veterinarian immediately for advice.
You can reach us at 661-295-9972. You may also visit us online at www.happypetsveterinary.com

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