{"id":2942,"date":"2024-03-13T10:10:25","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T10:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pottonvets.co.uk\/?p=2942"},"modified":"2024-03-13T21:41:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T21:41:21","slug":"5-potential-easter-poisons-to-protect-your-pet-from-this-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pottonvets.co.uk\/prometheus\/5-potential-easter-poisons-to-protect-your-pet-from-this-easter\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Potential Poisons to Protect Your Pet From This Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Easter and Spring are celebrated times across the country and bring fresh growth in our gardens, lighter nights, bank holidays and of course\u2026. visits from the Easter Bunny. But it\u2019s also a time we should be wary of some potentially nasty poisons that could make our pets quite unwell.<\/p>

The number 1 most common poisoning over Easter is chocolate and the one we will devote the most time to in this toxic round-up. Fortunately, most people are now aware of the dangers, but this isn\u2019t the only seasonal hazard to be wary of in our homes:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Chocolate<\/strong><\/h5>

Chocolate is considered by many of us humans to be one of life\u2019s best treats, but for our pets, it\u2019s highly toxic. In some cases, ingestion can even prove fatal.<\/p>

Chocolate contains something called theobromine. This is a molecule made by plants and is found in cocoa beans amongst others such as tea and cola.\u00a0 It has lots of different effects on the body \u2013 it widens blood vessels, aids urination (diuretic) and is a heart stimulant. Humans can quickly and easily metabolise this substance so it very rarely builds up enough to cause a problem, but dogs (and other animals, but pets such as cats, hamsters and rabbits are much less interested in sweet foods than dogs!) can suffer a build-up. This causes digestive problems, dehydration, internal bleeding, excitability, irregular or abnormal heart beat and muscle tremors. If this poisoning is left untreated, it can then result in seizures and death.\u00a0<\/p>

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How much chocolate is too much chocolate?<\/h6>

The amount of Theobromine in chocolate products varies. There\u2019s a much higher concentration in dark chocolate than in chocolate milk shake for example, but it doesn\u2019t take much to negatively affect your pet. As little as 1.8oz of milk chocolate is enough to poison a small dog.<\/p>

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HELP! My dog has eaten some chocolate. What should I do?!<\/h6>

Don\u2019t panic! Call us and we can advise you over the phone and if necessary, we\u2019ll see your pet as soon as possible. Obviously, if you have a small dog and they\u2019ve eaten a whole Easter Egg or box of chocolates, bring them to us straight away calling on the way to let us know you\u2019re coming.<\/p>

There is no antidote for theobromine so the usual way we treat them is to get them to vomit \u2013 ideally within the first two hours after they\u2019ve eaten the chocolate. We might also wash their stomach out and give them some activated charcoal which is really good at absorbing toxins left in their digestive system.\u00a0<\/p>

Depending on the severity of the poisoning, we might also need to put your dog on a drip and give them some medication to calm their heart, control their blood pressure and stop seizures from happening.<\/p>

With prompt treatment, the outlook is generally good for most dogs, even those who have eaten large amounts.<\/p>

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My dog is exhibiting the symptoms listed above as side effects, but I\u2019m not sure if they\u2019ve eaten chocolate or not. What should I do?<\/h6>

Call us. We can take a look at them and find out what\u2019s going on. Whilst they may not have eaten any chocolate, these symptoms are always signs of something so it\u2019s best to get them checked out as soon as possible and not wait and see.<\/p>

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What can I give as a treat instead of chocolate?<\/h6>

There are lots of options available for sale in the practice if you\u2019d like a handy packet in your pocket. Alternatively, you could use apples, peanut butter stuffed in a Kong, cubed beef, or carrots. You can buy doggy chocolate, but it has little or no nutritional value so it\u2019s not really worth it for the amount of time it\u2019s in their mouths for.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Artificial sweetener<\/strong><\/h5>

Don\u2019t think you\u2019re doing your pooch a favour by giving them diabetic or sugar-free treats. Some of these as well as sugar replacements, chewing gums and even some medicines contain xylitol. This artificial sweetener can cause mild stomach upset in humans, but can be very poisonous to dogs.\u00a0 If your dog eats it, it can cause their blood sugar levels to quickly drop to dangerous levels. Larger amounts can even cause liver failure in extreme cases. If you think your dog has eaten sweeteners or if they appear weak, tired, collapse or have fits you MUST bring them in straight away.\u00a0<\/p>

Other store cupboard dangers include:<\/p>