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After chocolate holidays like Valentines Day you may be tempted to share your left over chocolate with your favorite furry friend. But if you want to make your cat or dog your Valentine, it is best to keep the chocolate to yourself. If you suspect that your dog or cat has chocolate poisoning make sure to contact your vet right away.

Your pet may really love the taste and flavor of chocolates, but never let him have any. Chocolates are made from the roasted seeds of cocoa, which contains chemicals like caffeine and theobromine that are toxic to animals. If ingested, these two substances can cause several medical problems and might prove lethal for your pets. Chocolate can be risky for most animals like horses, dogs, cats and parrots since they’re unable to metabolize the chemicals effectively. Consumption of theobromine can result in poisoning and even death in certain animals.

Dogs are the most susceptible to chocolate poisoning because of their habit of rapid consumption. Also, theobromine can last up to more than 24 hours in a dog’s bloodstream. Cats are also vulnerable to chocolate poisoning for the similar reason dogs are. But cats commonly are not willing to eat chocolate, since they do not have ‘sweet’ taste receptors. Horses can take in a lot more theobromine than canines, regardless of how toxic it’s, because of their higher weight. In past times, theobromine has been utilized to improve a horse’s overall performance, and that’s why it’s prohibited in horse-racing.

Symptoms Of Chocolate Poisoning In Animals

In adequate amounts, the theobromine present in chocolate is dangerous to animals. If animals or pets are fed chocolate, the theobromine may possibly remain in the blood circulation for approximately 20 hrs.

Vomiting and diarrhea occur 3 to 5 hours after consumption, and chocolate in the throw-up may perhaps be obvious. Central nervous system stimulation triggers tremors, hyperactivity and seizures. The heart-rate becomes rapid and abnormal. Excessive urination might result from the “diuretic” action of the chocolate.

Further signs include firmness, excitement, seizures, and excessive response to light and noise. Urine may contain blood and the gums of the pet may turn into bluish hue after few hours of chocolate intake. Heart failure, coma, and death can also happen.

How To Treat Chocolate Poisoning

There is only a little you can do for your pet, especially in the home, to treat the poisoning of theobromine once it is mixed with the bloodstream. Therefore, the general treatments are usually ways to stop the ingested theobromine from getting in to the blood stream.

These include:

1. Induce vomiting instantly, which will help remove most of the chocolate.

2. After that, make your pet to eat a small quantity of activated charcoal, which can bind completely to the theobromine and retain it from getting into the circulatory system.

3. Try to get your pet to drink as much water as it can to keep hydrated.

4. At the veterinarian, specific drugs may be used to help the pet make it through, like anti-convulsants, which can help if the pet has seizures.

Make sure to call your vet if your dog shows signs of chocolate poisoning.

While a very little amount of chocolate would possibly not harm some pets, it is safest to avoid feeding it to them in any way. Remember to keep your chocolate, sweets, chocolate coated goodies and cakes safely far away from your pets. The most effective medicine in this case is prevention; An oz. of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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This article was written by Chocolate by Genevie – an online service that delivers artisan gift chocolates by mail. Genevie is a UK Chocolatier based in Edinburgh with a passion for cocoa and blogging. You can view some of the creations from Chocolate by Genevie on Pinterest.