Chocolate: a poison for our four-legged friends

Clearly, chocolate is a delicious and much-loved food for humans, but it can be extremely dangerous for your pets. Its toxicity to animals is mainly due to two substances it contains: theobromine and caffeine, both central nervous system and cardiac stimulants. Unlike humans, animals do not possess the enzymes needed to metabolize these substances efficiently, leading to their accumulation in the body and causing toxic effects.

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Our canine friends are particularly vulnerable to theobromine, as they metabolize it much more slowly than humans. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning can appear as early as 6 to 12 hours after ingestion, and include vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, elevated heart rate and, in severe cases, convulsions and even death. The type of chocolate ingested greatly influences the severity of the poisoning: the darker the chocolate, the more cocoa it contains, the richer it is in theobromine and the more dangerous it is. For example, dark chocolate or cocoa powder are far more toxic than milk or white chocolate. What's more, the harmful effects of chocolate are directly correlated to the amount of chocolate consumed and your pet's weight. There are chocolate toxicity calculators on the web, where you enter your pet's weight and the type and quantity of chocolate ingested, and these will tell you the degree of toxicity for your pet.

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Our feline friends are also sensitive to theobromine, but are less frequently affected. In general, they have little tendency to want to eat sweet substances! Nevertheless, accidental ingestion of chocolate by a cat can also lead to serious symptoms, similar to those observed in dogs.

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Even small amounts of chocolate can seriously damage our pets' health. So it's essential to keep all chocolate products out of your pets' reach. In the event of ingestion, it's important to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. In more serious cases, treatment may include induction of vomiting, administration of activated charcoal with or without a laxative to limit toxin absorption, and hospitalization with supportive care to eliminate as much of the toxin as possible from the body.

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In conclusion

Although chocolate is harmless to humans, it can be deadly to pets. Prevention and vigilance are essential to protect our four-legged friends from this bittersweet menace.

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