Trick or Treat or Trip to the Vet

This Halloween, keep a close eye on your beloved canine companion. As the house starts to fill with candy and chocolate, dogs sometimes can’t resist temptation. They might go head-first into that big bowl of goodies, then end up at the vet.

While candy of any kind isn’t good for your dog, chocolate is toxic. Chocolate can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from vomiting to seizures, or even death.

Chocolate toxicity depends on a few factors, including the size of your dog, the type of chocolate, and the amount of cocoa in the chocolate. In general, the worst outcomes are seen in dogs eating a lot of dark chocolate.

If your dog has eaten chocolate, then knowing the type and amount can help your veterinarian determine the appropriate course of action. If possible, bring the chocolate wrapper with you to the vet.

One Hershey’s Kiss probably won’t mean the kiss of death, but a big bowl of dark chocolate covered raisins could spell disaster. (The raisins might be a one-two punch, since they can also be toxic to dogs.)

Remain calm, but remember that the sooner your dog sees the vet, the better the odds of avoiding toxicity.

Or even better, keep that chocolate in the cupboard.