Life is Not a Box of Chocolates If You are a Dog
Spell Chocolate "N-O" For Your Four-Legged Friends
A study published in the 2006 Journal of Agricultual and Food Chemistry determined that chocolate is the third highest antioxidant source consumed in the U.S. following coffee and tea. According to Mark Stibich, PhD, “Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants which protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries), and flavonoids help relax blood pressure and keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels.”
Sounds Good Except...It Does Not Apply to Our Pets
According to the ASPCA®, its Animal Poison Control Center hotline receives an increased volume of calls around Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day – all holidays where candy is abundant – from worried pet parents. The problem isn’t just the fat chocolate contains, but even worse is the caffeine-like substance known as Theobromine– a naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean. An animal that has ingested too much chocolate can experience rapid heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and death. The only good news is that it takes a fairly large amount of Theobromine to cause a toxic reaction in your pet. However…do realize that every animal is different and some are much more sensitive to toxins than others meaning they can suffer ill effects on even the smallest amount of a substance. Your pet’s body weight, general health and the amount he has consumed as well as what type of chocolate will determine his reaction.
How Much Chocolate is Too Much?
The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous for your pooch! White Chocolate causes the least harm since it contains almost no cocoa and only 1mg of Theobromine per ounce. Milk Chocolate, the most common form, contains 60mg per ounce which means: one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of your dog’s body weight can be toxic! For example: 1/2 pound for an 8 lbs dog or 4 pounds consumed by a 65 lbs dog would make him very ill or worse. The chocolate generally found in chocolate chip cookies, Semi-Sweet Chocolate, contains an even higher Theobromine concentration, so less than one ounce per pound your pet weighs can make him just as sick. Theobromine is found in still higher levels in Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Powder and Baker’s Chocolate as well as Cocoa Mulch which often adorns potted plants and flower beds.
No Specific Antidote, so...Learn Pet First-Aid
Once swallowed, there is no specific antidote for chocolate poisoning, so if you suspect your dog has consumed chocolate, induce vomiting at once by administering one Tablespoon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for every 15 lbs your dog weighs. Dribble it onto the back of his tongue with an eye dropper, needle-less syringe or even a turkey baster until he swallows. As an alternative, activated charcoal may help absorb the toxins in your pet’s stomach and buy you time to get to the Animal Emergency Center before the poison travels through your pet’s bloodstream. Once at the Animal ER, the Veterinarian will flush your dog’s system, give intravenous medications to protect his heart and treat whatever symptoms occur.
Like Forrest Gump always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get,” but for your dog, cat or ferret, it will never be a good thing.
You may need to induce vomiting to save your pet!
|
You'll need 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and a syringe.
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles