CHOCOLATES: TASTY FOR YOU BUT POISONOUS FOR YOUR DOG

You, as a loving dog parent at some point in life, must have thought about sharing your chocolate with your lovely furry friend but as warned by the vet this thought can’t be brought to reality because, though chocolates are considered to be a stress buster and healthy for the heart in humans but in dogs, chocolates are poisonous  . Almost every dog parent knows this sad fact and had been through this horrible situation of chocolates getting consumed by their dogs and facing the harsh repercussions. Chocolates can be dangerous to dogs irrespective of the amount consumed. Dark chocolates are more dangerous to dogs than white chocolates.

You might think that” do dogs really like chocolates?” Dogs are generally meat eaters but they literally eat anything and everything. They won’t even know that they are full. A 10-20 pound dog can easily eat up to one pound of chocolate.

Omg!! My Dog Ate My Chocolates, What Should I Do Now?

Immediately take your dog to the vet. Your vet will try to make your dog vomit by giving him hydrogen peroxide. In some cases, dogs themselves vomit when they eat chocolate.

If you are at home you can lure your pet to take hydrogen peroxide by applying it around a tasty food bowl. Your dog will lick it while eating the food. After your pet vomits don’t give him/her water or anything for some time.

In severe cases where the dog parents are not quick enough to take action, the symptoms can be fatal like-

  1. Seizures
  2. Feeling thirsty a lot
  3. Diarrhea
  4. Panting
  5. Over-energetic
  6. Pacing
  7. Shaking

The vet will treat your pooch according to his/her health condition, he may use drugs that will cause your pooch vomiting. Your vet may also use procedures like stomach pumping to clean your stomach with fluids. Treatments containing activated charcoal can be helpful to prevent the chocolate from entering the bloodstream.

Precautions

Never underestimate the possibilities of harmful consequences of chocolate consumption by your dog. Remember that even a small amount of chocolate be it dark or white is enough to take your dog’s health for a ride.

According to a survey, there are almost 20-30 cases of chocolate consumption by dogs that are reported which is a significant amount.

Therefore, you need to be careful and take some precautions to avoid your dog from ingesting chocolate.  Below are some precautionary measures, have a look at them.

  • Never leave half-eaten chocolate on the couch or any place where your dogs can reach.
  • If you have children who love to eat chocolates teach them not to feed them to their fury pals while playing with them.
  • Keep chocolates out of the reach of your pooch.
  • Wash your hands and mouth after eating those delicious chocolates before playing with your dog
  • Don’t spread cocoa shell on your property if you have dogs because they can be dangerous to them. You can go for alternatives like pine or cedar.

Dog’s duty is to sense suspicious activities in the house and bring them to notice similarly, it’s your duty to protect the protector’s health. They love us unconditionally it’s we also give back that unconditional love to them. So, please take extra efforts to prevent your dog from accidentally eating chocolates and if he/she does that then take quick actions.