Animal Wardens Remind Dog Owners of Dangers of Chocolate Ahead of Easter
Easter weekend is fast approaching and our Animal Wardens would like to remind dog owners about the dangers of chocolate for their pets.
Chocolate is toxic for dogs, as it contains a chemical called theobromine which can have lethal consequences for our pets and any amount is potentially harmful to your dog.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning are vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, excitability, drooling and seizures. Chocolate poisoning can potentially lead to kidney and heart failure.
- Never give your dog any human chocolate as a treat. Ensure that children understand this rule too.
- Make sure that bins are dog-proof to prevent them scavenging through rubbish.
- Never leave any chocolate unsupervised, such as around the garden for a Easter Egg hunt, or chocolate eggs or cake left out on the side.
- Teach your dog to move away from something when you ask them to "leave it". This could be lifesaving if your dog is after something they shouldn’t eat.
- Keep a close eye on your dog while out walking, to avoid them scavenging for discarded food that is potentially harmful.
If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, we advise owners to contact their vets immediately.
