UK’s leading pet emergency service saw chocolate toxicity cases rise by 236% last Easter.
Vets have issued a chocolate warning to pet owners, as they brace themselves for a surge in cases of pets poisoned by chocolate.
Vets Now, the pet equivalent of A&E, saw chocolate toxicity cases rise by 236% last Easter.
Aside from Christmas, Easter is the second busiest time of the year for dogs being treated for chocolate poisoning for the UK’s leading pet emergency service’s.
One patient, a loveable dog called Bertie, thought it was his lucky day when he managed to jump into a giant bowl of chocolates – then scoffed them all.
Miniature Dachshund Bertie leapt from the sofa into the mountain of Quality Streets, Heroes and Celebrations while his owner Claire Cully was out shopping.
Claire was certain the chocolates would be safe on her living room table because Bertie’s tiny legs are too small for him to climb onto it. But some of her furniture had been moved while new flooring was put down – and that meant cunning Bertie could use the sofa as a springboard to bounce across.
And after successfully landing on the forbidden table, sixteen-month-old Bertie got stuck into his feast, wolfing down many of the chocolates with the wrappers still on. By the time Claire and her partner Luke got home they were greeted by a scene of devastation.
Dog-chewed wrappers and dozens of half-eaten chocolates were strewn around the living room. Poor Bertie, meanwhile, was whimpering in discomfort and had a noticeably swollen stomach.
Knowing how poisonous chocolate can be for dogs – and amazed by the sheer quantity Bertie had got through – Claire rang Vets Now. And a couple of minutes later, she, Luke and Bertie were on their way to our 24-hour pet emergency hospital in Manchester.
Vets Now staff rushed Bertie in and gave him medicine to make him sick and stop the chocolates from settling in his system. A very large amount of chocolate – and a lot of wrapper – duly came out of Bertie’s tummy.
And after an anxious wait for Claire and Luke, a sheepish-looking Bertie was well enough two hours later to go home with a dose of activated charcoal to help clean out his stomach.
Claire said: “The staff at the Vets Now hospital were brilliant with Bertie – and very kind to us as well. It’s really nerve-wracking when your pet is ill and in an emergency situation like that and it was a real relief to know he was in such good hands.”
“It was only a 20-minute journey from our house but I can honestly say it felt a lot longer because of how worried we were. We are always so careful when we go out to make sure there’s no food Bertie might be able to get hold of.
“But with the sofa having moved a bit, it obviously gave him a platform to get to the table which had been totally out of reach before.
“It was a big, big bowl of chocolates and he ate his way through the whole thing, except for a few toffee pennies and strawberry creams which he turned his nose up – which is proof I suppose that dogs are like humans and there’ll always be something left over that no-one likes!”
Chocolate contains a caffeine-like chemical called theobromine which dogs are very sensitive to and which can cause an overstimulation of their muscles, including their heart.
Claire said: “We were lucky that we weren’t out for long and were able to get Bertie help straightaway.”
“But with Easter coming up I’m conscious there’s going to be a lot of chocolate lying around in people’s houses. And the sincere advice I’d give any other owners is please get help from a vet straightaway if your dog does get hold of some.”
Bertie – who Luke has given the middle name Marcelo, in honour of hero ex-Leeds United football boss Marcelo Bielsa – has fully recovered from his mishap.
And he’s now engrossed again with his favourite daily activities: sleeping, watching football on the TV with Luke and barking when Leeds score.
Claire and Luke are getting married later this year and Bertie will have a role at the wedding. But he definitely won’t be entrusted with the rings – in case he eats them!
Claire said: “Bertie’s part of our family and he’ll be part of our big day – but there’s no way he’s getting anything to carry in his mouth, definitely not!”
Dave Leicester, Vets Now head of telehealth, said: “Unfortunately, we see a big rise in chocolate toxicity cases at Easter and it shows owners can never be too careful. Our advice is to keep chocolate treats well away from your dog. As long as it’s treated early and there’s been no organ damage, the prognosis for chocolate toxicity is generally good, but we’d like to help pet owners avoid a trip to the emergency room over Easter.”
Dave continued: “The effects of chocolate poisoning in dogs usually appear within 12 hours and can last up to three days. First signs can include excessive thirst, vomiting, diarrhoea and restlessness. These symptoms can then develop into hyperactivity, tremors, abnormal heart rate, hyperthermia and rapid breathing. In severe cases, dogs can experience fits and heartbeat irregularities and some cases can result in coma or death.”
To help worried pet owners deal with suspected chocolate poisonings in their pets, Vets Now has an online chocolate toxicity calculator to work out whether your dog has eaten a potentially toxic amount.
There are more than 60 Vets Now clinics and hospitals across the UK that are open through the night, seven-days-a-week, and day and night on weekends, to treat any pet emergencies that may occur. All of Vets Now’s premises have a vet and vet nurse on site at all times.
If you’re unsure whether your pet needs veterinary treatment, you can book an online video consultation with Video Vets Now. For more hints and tips, and advice on what to do in a pet emergency, visit www.vets-now.com.
