Dr. Louise Janes D.V.M. & Dr. Jeff Grognet D.V.M.

Chocolate: A sweet poison

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Dr. Louise and Dr. Jeff connected in 1984 while Louise was the shepherd at UBC Agricultural Sciences. They later married in 1992 and dreamed of creating a practice they could share. In the fall of 1995, they moved to Oceanside and officially opened the doors of the Mid-Isle Veterinary Hospital in Qualicum Beach in 1996. Their care focuses on dogs and cats, utilizing integrative medicine – a blend of traditional and complementary therapies. Full examination, surgical, and radiological facilities are also available. They call themselves integrative practitioners.

Christmas (and Halloween) is a hazardous time for dogs. Kids get the sugary treats and some of them are chocolate.

Most of you know that chocolate can be toxic, but do you know why? First, chocolate contains caffeine. This drives dogs into a hyperactive state (think of you with far too much coffee). They pace for hours, but the effect eventually wears off. Second, chocolate can cause indigestion. Vomiting and diarrhea is just the price paid for too much of a good thing.

But, there is something far more serious. Chocolate also contains theobromine. This chemical causes muscle twitching, seizures, and possibly even death. The amount of theobromine in chocolate varies – dark chocolate usually contains more than milk chocolate, and baker’s chocolate contains even more.

And, though you may think the possibility of a problem is remote, it isn’t. Veterinarians see many dogs that succumb to conditions that could have been avoided. By being aware of the risks, you can take precautions.

Baron, a miniature Dachshund discovered and ate two bars of 70 percent cocoa. Within 30 minutes, his muscles started twitching. It then progressed to convulsions. By this time, Baron was at our hospital.

We gave Baron an injection of Valium to stop the seizures, and then we made him throw up. Copious amounts of dark-brown vomitus graced the table.

The muscle twitches eventually subsided as the toxin wore off. But, because Baron was a 12-year-old dog with an arthritic spine, the convulsions were hard on him. He was very sore for the next few days.

The solution is simple. Don’t leave chocolate out on a table or wrapped where a dog can find it. At Christmas, if people give you presents, ask if there is anything edible in them before you put them under the tree.

This table shows how much of what type of chocolate a dog can eat.

Click here for  handy calculator to figure out if your dog is poisoned.

 

Dr. Louise Janes D.V.M. & Dr. Jeff Grognet D.V.M

Mid-Isle
Veterinary Hospital
5-161 Fern Road
West Qualicum Beach, BC
Tel (250) 752-8969
Website
Veterinary Assistant Learning Center

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