Holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas tend to bring the chocolate lover out in all of us. It is extremely important to keep the safety of our pets in mind when giving or receiving chocolates as it can be very dangerous to them.

Chocolate is derived from the roasted seeds of Theobroma cacao, a substance containing caffeine and theobromine, two toxic ingredients to animals. If ingested, these two ingredients can lead to various medical complications and can be fatal to your pet. Theobromine is similar to caffeine and is used medicinally as a diuretic, heart stimulant, blood vessel dilator, and a smooth muscle relaxant. It can be poisonous and result in severe clinical signs, especially if unnoticed or left untreated.

The amount and type of chocolate ingested is important! Some chocolates are more dangerous than others and this is a determining factor for treatment.

An important piece of information to remember is that Dark = Dangerous! The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more Theobromine it contains, meaning that baker’s (baking) chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and gourmet dark chocolates are the most dangerous. This being said, it does not mean that milk chocolate is safe to give to your pet. No chocolate is ever good!

If you think your pet has ingested some chocolate, they should be seen by a veterinarian. It is best to call your veterinarian ahead of time to see if there is any at home care you can do immediately. It is common that your veterinarian will have you induce vomiting and control any possible seizure activity by keeping your pet cool, calm, and in a quiet place until you can receive the help you need.

Symptoms to look for if you think your pet may have ingested chocolate are:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Increased body temperature
• Increased reflexes
• Muscle rigidity
• Rapid breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Seizures
• Advance symptoms (cardiac failure, weakness, coma)

Although cats are normally not as curious about people food as dogs are, cats and kittens in particular can too sometimes eat things they aren’t supposed to. Chocolate can poison cats just as severely!

It is crucial for your pet’s health to keep chocolate and products containing chocolates out of their reach. Unfortunately, there is no antidote to chocolate toxicity.
Please speak to the staff at Centrepointe Animal Hospital if you have any questions or concerns regarding your pet and chocolate. We are here to help!