Dog owners have been warned to keep their beloved pets away from Easter chocolate after a dog almost died after eating some.
Dog owners have been urged to keep their tasty chocolate Easter treats out of the reach of their pets after one dog almost died after feasting on a milk chocolate egg.
The warning comes after the potential dangers of eating a ham bone were revealed and with many households ordering Easter eggs online to enjoy over the Bank holiday weekend, the risks are much greater at this time of year.
A little two-year-old Chihuahua called Bailey, needed life-saving treatment after he mistakenly ate an Easter egg without realising the tasty human treat is a deadly snack for dogs.
Now the PDSA, who treat hundreds of chocolate poisoning cases in their hospitals every year, is urging pet owners to be vigilant and mother-of-five Tracy from Chatham, Kent has shared her story as a warning to others.
Recalling the signs, Tracy said, “He became really lethargic and just wasn’t himself. Soon after I found torn-up Easter egg foil with all the chocolate gone, so I knew he needed to be seen urgently. I’m very careful with chocolate around our dogs as I know it’s poisonous for them, but my seven-year-old son had hidden an egg under a pillow thinking Bailey wouldn’t be able to find it.”
But Bailey was able to sniff out the tasty treat before eating, a move which was almost fatal for him.
After contacting the PDSA, Tracy's dog Bailey was rushed in as an emergency and given treatment to induce vomiting in a bid to stop any more of the toxins being absorbed.
However, the vet warned that even a small amount of chocolate can have a deadly outcome. PDSA senior vet Soo Ming Teoh said, “We estimated that Bailey had eaten about half an Easter egg, which is an extremely dangerous amount for a dog of his very small size, therefore we knew he was at risk of serious disturbances to his heart rhythm or even seizures.
“Thankfully he was brought in very quickly and we were able to give him life-saving treatment before too much of the toxin got into his system.
“He needed close monitoring and intravenous fluid support due to an increased heart rate, likely caused by the amount of chocolate he’d eaten. But after a few hours of observation and treatment, he was able to go home with instructions to keep a close eye on him overnight.”
While owners have been advised on how to keep their pooches safe after pedigree dog thefts also increased in recent months, chocolate isn't the only thing that could prove deadly for dogs.
Even healthy foods such as fruit and veg can be toxic to dogs and the popular children's play material Play-Doh is fatal for dogs, and pet owners have previously been warned about the deadly plants in their gardens after a common plant killed a dog.
Tracy said she was grateful to the PDSA staff and added, "It took him a little while to fully recover from his ordeal but thankfully he is back to his usual self now and we’re keeping chocolate well out of reach so we don’t have to go through this scary experience again.”
