13th February 2008

Spot The Signs Of Chocolate Poisoning

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With Valentine's Day and Easter coming in the next month, there's likely to be a bit more chocolate around than usual. Vets Now give us some advice on how to spot the symptoms of chocolate poisoning before it's too late.

Vets Now, which has 30 Out-of-Hours emergency clinics across the UK has admitted an unusually high number of dogs recently who have been sniffing out the leftover Christmas chocolates, with almost fatal consequences. Now that Valentine's Day and Easter are approaching, it's warning owners to be on their guard again.

The Vets Now Sheffield clinic alone has seen three cases in the past few weeks, highlighting the fact that many owners may be unaware of the dangers that chocolate poses if consumed by our four legged friends. Our pets are just as partial to a sweet treat as we are; however, even a small amount of chocolate, if consumed by your pet, can be enough to cause death. Dogs are most commonly affected by chocolate poisoning although cats, especially kittens, parrots and rodents are also susceptible.

Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine and although humans have no problem clearing their system of the substance, dogs in particular struggle to get rid of it. The substance can stay in a dog's system for three days and just 50g of chocolate can be enough to kill a small dog.

Talking about the recent increase in chocolate poisoning cases, Ian Lowe, Senior Veterinary Surgeon at Vets Now Sheffield said, "We have treated an unusually high number of cases of chocolate poisoning over the past few weeks, which have probably been caused by dogs sniffing out the leftover Christmas chocolates. In all cases, the owners had been quick to recognise the signs of chocolate poisoning and have sought urgent treatment. In most cases, we have induced vomiting to empty the dogs' stomachs and we were delighted that all three dogs who were brought to us made quick and full recoveries. Not all dogs are so lucky and if more than two hours has passed since the chocolate poisoning the symptoms can be more serious, often resulting in fitting, heart problems, a coma and even death."

One of the dogs who was admitted, Henry, a five-year-old Shar Pei from Doncaster, had eaten a box of dark chocolates filled with Cointreau and was transferred to Vets Now on a drip by his local daytime practice. His condition was extremely serious but after receiving intensive care overnight, including fluid replacement, Henry was able to soon able to drink and eat again and gave a healthy wag of the tail to show he was back on the road to recovery before being given the all clear.

If you suspect that your pet might have pinched a chocolate treat, please look out for the following symptoms and seek urgent veterinary treatment:

• Excitement
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Muscle spasms
• Excessive thirst
• Excessive urination

The good news is that if caught early enough, chocolate poisoning can be treated successfully but with Valentine's Day and Easter just around the corner, you can make sure that your pet is safe by placing chocolates within reach of your loved one only.

To find out if Vets Now has a clinic in your area, please visit www.vets-now.com or alternatively, please contact Vets Now on 01383 627609.

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