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Emergency Treatment For A Dog That Has Eaten Chocolate
I love my dog – you love your dog! Branded as man’s best friends, dogs are probably the most loved pets. People that have formed strong ties with the pet would provide the dog with the best care to make certain that they have a happy and comfortable existence. In addition to the premium quality dog food, the pet will still receive treats every now and then. The dog’s commercially manufactured dry kibble is no match to the delicious taste and the enticing aroma of people food. Dog owners would have no choice but share the food being eaten with a pet showing a woebegone expression. Some owner may not be aware of the fact that some human foods have dangerous effects to the pet. Chocolate is one of the people food that have poisonous effects on dogs.
Dogs are known to be voracious eaters. Owners are often perplexed by the pet’s habit of eating inedible objects. Dogs that have developed a taste for human food would not just stare at the food left lying around. Knowing that chocolate is dangerous to dogs, what would you do if what remained of the 10 lbs chocolate bar is only the foil wrapper as the dog has devoured the melt in the mouth chocolate?
Dogs must never be allowed to go near chocolates. Theobromine in chocolates is what makes this human food toxic to dogs. This chemical that cannot be metabolized by dogs causes the poisoning. However, due to the fact that different kinds of chocolates contain different levels of this toxic substance, not all chocolates ingested by the dog would result to its death. The kind of chocolate, the amount ingested and the weight of the dog are factors that affect the toxicity of chocolate.
The pet parent need not be concerned if the 45 lbs dog has consumed a milk chocolate bar. The Theobromine would not be enough to poison the dog.
Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate has high levels of Theobromine and ingestion of these types of chocolate would have potentially fatal effects on your dog. This chemical affects the dog’s nervous system thus different dogs would show different reactions to the toxicity. Chocolate poisoning requires immediate management so you can start treatment at home. Give your dog hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. After the dog has vomited, blackened toast can be given to the pet. Theobromine has no specific antidote thus no time must be lost to save the life of the pet. It would always be best to err on the safe side – take the pet to a veterinary facility even if it is not showing symptoms of poisoning.
Mother’s Day 2011