As every pet owner knows, chocolate is a no-go zone for our furry friends. As a result, a huge number of after-hours vet visits are caused by a cheeky cat or dog who’s sneaked a taste of the sweet stuff.
But here’s the thing, while chocolate should never, ever be given as a treat, one piece won’t kill your pet – so it might be time to stop pressing the panic button. While there are individual variations between animals, the amount of chocolate your pet would need to down to experience problems is usually surprisingly high.
✦ For a 35kg dog (labrador size), t’s 1.4kg milk chocolate or 7 regular blocks.
✦ For a 20kg dog (staffy size), it’s 850g milk chocolate or 4 regular blocks.
✦ For a 5kg dog (poodle size), it’s 250g milk chocolate or 11⁄4 regular blocks.
✦ For cats, it’s rare for them to eat chocolate. Unlike dogs, they don’t have a sweet tooth, so aren’t naturally drawn to it. Plus, they ind the bitterness o some cocoa-based treats a big turn of.
Pets + chocolate: The facts:
1. Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine. Similar to caffeine, it’s what gives you that buzz when you eat lots of dark chocolate. Dogs (and cats) don’t handle that buzz well. Too much of it and their nervous system goes a little haywire, causing a fast heart rate, restlessness and, in extreme cases, muscle tremors and seizures.
2. Dark chocolate is much more dangerous for animals than milk chocolate. But the good news is, it’s not often targeted by dogs because of its bitterness. The toxic dose is about one-third that of milk chocolate.
3. Since there’s no cocoa in white chocolate, it’s not considered toxic. But the high fat content could still cause vomiting, so steer clear.
0 Comments