It's not just during the Advent season and on special occasions that sweets and especially chocolate delight our palates. But while we enjoy the sweet delicacy, it is a truly dangerous treat for our furry friends, whether cat or dog. In today's blog post, let's dive into the topic of "chocolate and pets" and find out why this sweet and delicious chocolate can be deadly for pets, even in small quantities.

 

The Invisible Enemy in Chocolate: Theobromine and Caffeine

Chocolate is not just chocolate. For our beloved four-legged friends, this sweet treat hides a silent danger: theobromine and caffeine. These substances contained in cocoa give chocolate its undeniable flavour. While our bodies are able to process these ingredients, our pets are unable to do so - it quickly becomes toxic for them.

That is why three questions are central to the case:

• How much does your pet weigh?
• What chocolate has he been eating?
• And how much of it?

 

Actions to take in an emergency

If your velvet paw or your faithful dog looks at you sadly because they have tasted the sweet temptation, every second counts. First signs like

• Vomiting,
• Diarrhoea,
• accelerated heartbeat or
• Hyperactivity

can occur as early as 2-4 hours after consumption.

Now it is important to stay calm and act as quickly as possible. It is best to remove the chocolate from the stomach within 20-60 minutes of eating it. Recognising the symptoms of chocolate poisoning at an early stage can save lives.

 

Symptoms and first aid

Monitor your furry friend for symptoms such as

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Accelerated heartbeat
• Restlessness or panting
• Trembling or even cramps

If these signs are present, an immediate visit to the vet is mandatory. And whilst you're taking your pet to the vet, someone else in your household could be looking for the "murder weapon". Is it the Christmas chocolate or the dark chocolate bar? The sooner the vet knows exactly what has been eaten and how much of it, the better he can help.

 

Prevention is better than cure

A little bit can't hurt, right? Unfortunately, you're wrong. Even if it is meant to be sweet, chocolate should never, never, never end up on our pets' menu. Once they've acquired a taste for it, they could seek out their new-found treat on their own - with disastrous consequences.

The way to the heart is through the stomach, that's true! But let's spoil our animals with treats they can handle and make chocolate our human pleasure.