Chocolate toxicity - What should I do if my dog eats chocolate

Whilst the Easter weekend is welcome break for most, unfortunately it’s also the time our after hours team are contacted most by owners because their pets have eaten chocolate.

As many owners will undoubtedly be aware, chocolate is toxic to both dogs and cats. Ingestion most commonly occurs after pets find chocolate which would normally be inaccessible to them. Signs depend on the amount eaten but can range from hyper-excitability to seizures and in severe cases may sadly lead to death.

For this reason if your dog or cat ingests any chocolate we recommend contacting us ASAP. We will ask your pet’s weight and details about the chocolate eaten (how much and what brand) as in some cases it may not be necessary to seek further treatment. It is very important you contact us as soon as your recognise your pet has eaten chocolate as prompt treatment may be vital to a successful outcome.

If your pet has eaten a potentially toxic amount of chocolate we will recommend they are brought into the practice ASAP. We will usually give them an injection to make them sick and discharge them with activated charcoal to ensure no further chocolate is absorbed by the body. For more serious cases we may opt to keep them in the clinic for further monitoring so treatment can be instigated asap.

But as ever prevention is better than cure so we’d like to take this opportunity to remind all clients to keep all chocolate out of pets’ reach and ensure all chocolate eggs are collected after easter egg hunts.

If you have any further questions on chocolate or any other common toxicities please feel free to get in touch.