Easter is fast approaching, and while that gives us humans an excuse to eat lots of chocolate, it can be very dangerous for your dog if they do the same.

Chocolate contains theobromine which, although tolerated by humans, is extremely toxic to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the greater the amount of theobromine. Toxic doses vary according to the size of your dog and cocoa solid content of the chocolate. As a rough guide it has been estimated that only 50g of plain chocolate could be enough to kill a small dog such as a Yorkshire Terrier, while just 400g could be enough to kill an medium size dog.

Keeping your dog safe this Easter

Follow these tips to keep your dog safe from chocolate:

  1. Keep all chocolate hidden away out of sight and unavailable to your dog.
  2. NEVER feed your dog chocolate intended for humans.
  3. If your chocolate Easter egg is missing and you suspect the dog is the culprit, contact your local vet straight away. There is no antidote for theobromine poisoning with treatment being symptomatic. Therefore the sooner treatment is implemented, the greater the chance of recovery. If you suspect your dog has chocolate poisoning, contact your local vet immediately.

Easter egg hunts for your dog!
Although chocolate is toxic for dogs, you can still let your dog join in the fun with their own ‘dog-friendly’ Easter egg hunt. Instead of using chocolate eggs, or human toys, hide some dog-appropriate treats in a variety of food dispensers, or suitable containers, and hide them around the house and garden for your dog to find!