Like most pet owners, you probably know by now that chocolate is toxic to dogs. You would never share chocolate bunnies with your dog. Since Easter is this month, be sure to remind everyone in your family of the danger and ask them to take extra precautions to keep Easter candy out of your dog´s reach. Don´t allow small children to have chocolate candy when the dog is nearby. Remind guests not to share Easter goodies with your friendly little pup, no matter how cute she looks when she begs.

If your dog has the house to himself when you´re away, make sure everyone´s Easter baskets are up high or in a room behind closed doors, where your dog could not possibly reach them. Big dogs might not be able to resist the temptation of a counter full of chocolate candy. Small dogs, who are at highest risk, can climb on a chair to reach a table full of candy or pull on a tablecloth to bring the candy to the floor.

Chocolate toxicity is among the 20 most common poisonings reported by the National Animal Poison Control Center. It´s more common at Easter, Halloween and Christmas when chocolates and candies are sometimes all around the house in open candy dishes, treat bags, baskets, gift bags and shopping bags.

Chocolate contains theobromine, a stimulant related to caffeine, that´s harmless to us but toxic to dogs. It can cause vomiting and diarrhea, restlessness and hyperactivity, excessive thirst and increased urination, a rapid heart rate and excessive panting. Larger amounts can be fatal.

Small dogs have a much higher mortality risk after consuming chocolate than large dogs. One small chocolate rabbit might have little or no affect on a German Shepherd, but the same amount of chocolate could kill a Chihuahua. The severity depends on the dogs's weight, the type of chocolate and the amount of chocolate consumed. Milk chocolate is harmful, but unsweetened baking chocolate has six to nine times as much theobromine as milk chocolate. Milk chocolate contains 44 mg theobromine per ounce. Semi-sweet chocolate has 150 mg per ounce, and baking chocolate has 390 mg per ounce. The toxic amount of theobromine is about 50 mg. per pound of a dog's body weight.

That means that for a 10 pound dog, about 10 ounces of milk chocolate, 3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, or just one ounce of baking chocolate could be lethal.

If you think your dog may have found and eaten a harmful amount of chocolate, call your veterinarian or take your dog to an emergency animal hospital immediately! Symptoms will usually begin within two hours but sometimes it could also take as long as 24 hours. Delaying treatment could be a fatal mistake. In addition to those symptoms mentioned above - restlessness, hyperactivity, vomiting and diarrhea, excessive thirst, increased urination, a rapid heart rate and excessive panting, more advanced symptoms can include muscle tremors, stiffness, seizures, Cardiac arrhythmia and coma.

Emergency care will vary depending upon the elapsed time since the ingestion. It will also be important to know the kind and quantity of chocolate that was consumed, if possible. Treatment might include induced vomiting and administration of activated charcoal to reduce the absorption of chocolate. It might also include IV fluids, medication to prevent shock, anti-seizure medications and/or cardiac medications to stabilize the heartbeat.

For more precise information about toxic doses, according to a dogs weight and the kind of choclolate consumed...
See Chocolate Toxicity - Toxic Amounts of Chocolate.

Also... Hershey's Chocolate has a chart that lists the theobromine concentration of their products. - Click Here

Chocolate is not the only harmful thing a dog can find in an Easter basket.

See Caution - Easter Can Be Hazardous to Your Dog for more information.

Celebrate Spring with a fun new toy....

Egg Babies Dog Toys by Plush Puppies Three squeaky "eggs" are hidden inside the belly of the plush Easter duck. It's the perfect toy for dogs who love to "seek and destroy" squeakers.

Rubber Kong Dog Toys Dogs love Kong Toys as-is, or you can stuff the hollow end with kibble, peanut butter or other treats and fillers. These popular toys are made of thick, natural rubber to provide your dog with a real chewing workout. The red Kong is one tough toy - and the black Kong is even tougher. Kong's revolutionary 'beehive' design makes them bounce unpredictably in every direction.

Spring Bunny by Country Clipart.com

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