Dogs and Chocolate: a Deadly Combination!

There is a danger in the house of nearly every dog owner...a danger that they have never even thought twice about. The danger is chocolate. That is right, chocolate. Some may think that the danger is to humans; after all, consuming 10 Cadbury Eggs will certainly add a pound or two. But, the real danger lies with pets. Many people do not know that chocolate is toxic to dogs.

It does not take much chocolate to do great harm to a dog. Some people think that it cannot possibly hurt to give a little chocolate treat to their dogs-after all, if everyone else is getting a little treat, what could it hurt to give the dog a little bit? So, they will give a little Hershey's Kiss to the pooch. But, that one little Hershey's Kiss could be fatal to a small dog.

The greatest danger comes at times like Easter, Christmas, and Halloween, because there are usually large amounts of chocolate lying around the house. But, in most homes with children, there is at least a little chocolate available. Most children think nothing of leaving their Ho-Ho's or half eaten chocolate bars lying around. Fido then comes along and snaps up the treat-after all, he doesn't know that this chocolate is poison to him. Many a pet has met his early demise under circumstances just like this!

It is very important to make sure that you do not leave chocolate where a dog can have easy access to it. I know of one case where a lady baked cookies, each with a Hershey's Kiss on top, and left them on the table to cool. Their Sheltie jumped up on the table and ate about a dozen pieces of the chocolate.

Unfortunately, they didn't know what was wrong, or what to do about it, and so their dog died before making it to a vet. When a dog is in the home, it is important to make sure that you put things that are dangerous out of reach. Many people will "childproof" their house, but they will not even think about the dangers to their pet.

So, what happens if your dog eats chocolate? The best bet is to get the dog to a veterinarian, where it can be evaluated. It will need to have its stomach pumped, so that the chocolate is removed from its system. If there is no veterinarian close enough to get to, or it is after hours and you cannot get to a veterinarian, there is a "home remedy" that you can use.

Force a small amount of hydrogen peroxide down the throat of your dog and it will cause it to regurgitate everything in its stomach. If you know about how much your dog has eaten, then you can watch (disgusting to be sure) how much is regurgitated. If you think there may be more in its stomach, then give another dose of the peroxide.

This is a larger problem than most people realize. Make sure that your house is safe for your pet, so that little Fifi does not end up getting poisoned from something so common as chocolate!