While eating copious amounts of chocolate sounds ideal for many of us this Easter, it’s important to remember the special treats aren’t allowed for most of our furry companions.
Even if you struggle saying no when they look desperate to eat whatever you’re eating, feeding your pet chocolate — even a little bit — is never a good idea says Sydney vet Dr Sanduni Kapur.
But exactly why is it so bad and what should you do if your pet has somehow gotten into your secret stash of eggs?
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Kapur, who works at Greencross Vets North Parramatta, told 7NEWS.com.au there are two main components in chocolate: theobromine and caffeine.
While these have no harmful effects on humans they are toxic to some pets, dogs especially.
Dark chocolate, or baking chocolate, is particularly bad as it contains higher levels of theobromine than milk chocolate.
There is no exact amount of chocolate that is harmful for dogs as it really depends on their size, Kapur said.
“A pomeranian eating an Easter egg versus a great dane eating an Easter egg, it will sort of depend on the toxic amount,” she said.
Symptoms of chocolate toxicity primarily include vomiting and diarrhoea.
If your dog is acting more hyperactive than normal, that could also be a sign.
“You know, an otherwise pretty calm dog is just zooming around, just quite unusual, it would be a little bit suspicious,” Kapur said.
“In quite higher doses as well we can unfortunately see tremors which progress to seizures.
“And in rare cases, if the toxic dose is high enough, you can get death unfortunately.”
While all chocolate is bad for pets, dark chocolate is particularly dangerous as it contains higher level of theobromine. Credit: Getty
It’s not just the chocolate pet owners need to be careful about during Easter, Kapur said.
Sultanas, which are found in traditional hot cross buns, are actually just as bad if not worse.
Kapur said sultanas or grapes can be more “insidious” for pets as they can cause acute kidney failure.
By the time many owners realise their pet is unwell it’s too late.
“With chocolate, we can often sort of be like ‘Oh, what chocolate was it?’ and determine the dose,” Kapur said.
“But per grape we’re not actually … 100 per cent sure exactly what the toxic component is in a grape.
“It could be tartaric acid but, basically, whatever it is, each grape has a different quantity.
“So, if you eat one grape, it could potentially as dangerous as eating 10 to 12.”
What should you do?
If you have a local vet, calling them is always your best option if your pet has eaten something they should not have.
But with most clinics closed over the long weekend, another option is to call the animal poisons helpline.
“They’re available 24/7 and you can … just search animal poisons helpline, call their number, they can talk through about what’s happened to your pet,” Kapur said.
“They can redirect you in terms of, like, ‘OK, you definitely need to go to a vet’, or maybe ‘It should be OK’, and they can give you qualified vet advice.”
Emergency vet clinics are also open 24/7 over the long weekend.
If your pet does fall unwell and you do need to take them to the vet, what should you expect to happen?
The first thing is usually the vet will induce emesis — otherwise known as vomiting.
“Sometimes we find like, ‘Oh yeah, I think they maybe ate a square of chocolate’ but then we make them throw up and actually there’s a lot more chocolate in there,” Kapur said.
“We’re trying to get out as much as possible.”
Sultanas in hot cross buns can be just as dangerous as chocolate, if not worse, for pets. Credit: Getty
If your pet has eaten chocolate, they will then likely be given activated charcoal which binds to the toxin and helps decrease its impact in the body.
For pets that have consumed sultanas, they will have to undergo blood tests and may need to be on fluids for a couple days to ensure kidney failure does not occur.
How to prevent accidental chocolate intake
Easter egg hunts are still OK if you’re a pet owner, Kapur said — just make sure you keep track of where you’ve hidden them and keep any pets far away.
You should also be careful about what you’re putting in the bin, she said.
“Dogs are just so good at using their nose to find where the chocolate is in the bin, where it’s hidden in the garden for an Easter egg hunt — they’re the ones usually presenting (to the vets with chocolate toxicity),” Kapur said.
“Cats, luckily, actually don’t really have many sweet receptors, so they actually probably won’t go for the chocolate but dogs, yes, very much love chocolate.
“And if you see a dog eating even a little bit of a hot cross bun, if you think there’s sultanas in there, or if they went through the bin which had a grape in there, even if it was just one, I’d recommend contacting your veterinarian.”
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