A dog owner from Aberdeen is warning owners to keep chocolate away from pets this festive period, after her family’s Labrador was rushed to the vets for emergency treatment.
“My daughter had been given a couple of boxes of chocolate for Christmas,” explains dog owner Louise Ritchie, “and, with amazing restraint, hadn’t yet eaten them.”
Although not usually allowed upstairs, Harvey, their four-year-old Labrador Retriever, had quietly made his way into the forbidden room where he quickly discovered the chocolate, and consumed almost the whole lot, leaving just one solitary chocolate behind.
“None of us knew what Harvey had been up to until the evidence was discovered all over the bedroom floor! Unfortunately we had no idea of how much he had eaten, and at what time,” Louise adds.
Knowing how toxic chocolate can be for dogs, Louise rushed Harvey to the emergency vets where he ended up having to stay overnight on a drip because of the risk to his kidneys. Louise collected him the next day, but admits that he was “a bit quiet and feeling rather sorry for himself for a few days after.”
Luckily Harvey made a full recovery but it could have been a very different story had Louise not acted so quickly and, with the cost of Harvey’s care coming to more than £1,000, which thankfully was covered by his Kennel Club Pet Insurance Lifetime policy, provided by Agria, it could have otherwise been a very costly accident.
New statistics, released this month by The Kennel Club, revealed that while nearly a third (31%) of all claims for chocolate poisoning last year were made during the Christmas period (December 2023-January 2024), January was in fact the highest month overall, with claims more than double the monthly average (an increase of 106%).
“These statistics show that, while Christmas may be over in January, there can often be a lot of leftovers lying around so it’s vital that owners continue to keep a watchful eye on their pets throughout Christmas and into the new year.”
Robin Hargreaves Senior Veterinary Advisor for Agria Pet Insurance, adds: “Chocolate can be very dangerous to your dog, the risk will vary according to the amount and type of chocolate consumed and the weight of your dog. Symptoms can vary, but include sickness, upset or painful stomach, as well as excessive drinking, dribbling and fast breathing, even seizures, and can appear any time between four – 24 hours later. Owners who think their pets have ingested any chocolate should contact their vet for advice immediately. Don’t forget your dog can sniff out wrapped chocolate under the tree very easily!”
There is further advice on how to have a calm canine Christmas and avoid seasonal dangers on The Kennel Club website: thekennelclub.org.uk/christmas.
