Chocolate and Dogs - How to Avoid Death by Chocolate

By Tara Nemeth

By nightfall on October 31st, I fully expect to see a lot of costumed children rushing around my neighborhood clutching bags of candy. This is the first year, since I was a child myself, that I will be living in a neighborhood where I can actually expect trick-or-treaters. I fully intend to be one of those houses that is on the "must go to" list.

It is my intention that the little ghosts, goblins, ballerinas, and superheroes that ring my bell will be able to obtain a sugar high strictly from the candy I give out. I've actually been asking friends and co-workers with young children to ask their kids which candy is considered "cool" and which candy I should avoid buying at all costs.

Ironically, my youngest family member will not be participating in this chocolate fest. Jade is 6 years old and would gladly scarf down all the candy that came his way. Unfortunately, that one scarf fest could lead to his death. Jade is a dog - a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who lives for treats and eats dog food only as a last resort. This Halloween however, Jade is going to have to content himself with his healthy, and holistic dog treats, and leave the chocolate for the children.

Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine, a substance that can potentially prove fatal if ingested by dogs, cats, or birds. According to a report published by the ASPCA, as little as 1oz of chocolate is potentially lethal. As opposed to a sugar high, chocolate in dogs can produce clinical effects ranging from vomiting and diarrhea to panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases. If your animal shows any of these symptoms, or you believe he or she has gotten into your chocolate stash, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Although you should never feed chocolate to your pet, realistically, a 100lb. Labrador that ate a couple of stray M&Ms is probably not going to exhibit any symptoms of chocolate toxicity. To be completely safe however, give the candy to the kids and offer your pet a few of her favorite treats.

Tara Nemeth is the Director of Field Development for Petlane, a pet product company offering the best toys, treats, gifts, and health and safety items for dogs, cats and birds. People, pets and pet products are Tara's passions. She lives in California with her husband and her 6 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Jade. She invites you to visit her company's website at http://www.petlane.com and for great pet parenting ideas, see her blog at http://www.petlane.com/blog