Keep Your Pets Safe

This is the first year in over a decade our family has not had a dog at Christmas time. And I thought of that as my kids were leaving out some chocolates and other goodies for Santa at bedtime. Other years we’ve had to put the plate of treats up high out of reach of our pets.

While no human goodies are good for pets, chocolate is especially harmful, and can be fatal. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine which is toxic to both dogs and cats. You don’t hear much about cats eating chocolate because, well, they’re finicky. Dogs will eat almost anything so all chocolate should be kept out of their reach.

Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine, and smaller animals will react to a smaller amount than larger animals. Dogs who have eaten chocolate may have diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, or an irregular heartbeat, and need to be taken to a vet.

While our much-loved pooch passed away last spring, please take care of your dogs and cats this holiday season by eating all the chocolate yourself.

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