Some ‘Dogfatherly’ advice for owners this Easter

The Easter Bunny is on his way, bringing with him lots of yummy chocolate. That’s great for us humans (in moderation!), but while we all like to spoil our pets every now and then, chocolate should not form part of a dog’s treats – not even a tiny chunk.

Chocolate is incredibly poisonous to our four-legged friends; symptoms can progress quickly and the effects are frightening – both for the dog and owner. Plus, as we all know, trips to the vets are costly.

Chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains and the more poisonous it is for dogs. The smaller the dog, the worse the effects can be.

Signs to watch out for are restlessness, hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhoea, and – in more severe cases – seizures.

But try telling your dog that chocolate isn’t good for them! Like us, dogs find chocolate irresistible, so owners need to be extra cautious and make chocolate inaccessible to snuffling snouts.

Teach little ones not to feed chocolate to dogs and to keep their supplies well out of the way. It’s all too easy to go out of the room and leave a tempting bar of chocolate on the coffee table. If you suspect poor Rover has laid his paws on some chocolate (and the real culprit is not your sweet-toothed other half or innocent-looking child), act quickly.

Unless it’s been devoured too, keep the wrapper and try to work out how much has been eaten. Then contact the vet immediately. If dealt with in good time the symptoms can be treated.

While we’re on the subject, other foods that should be kept well away from dogs include: grapes, onions, garlic, macadamia nuts and chewing gum.
Happy Easter from the Dogfather!

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