Be Alert, Don’t Let Your Dog Eat Chocolate Around the Holidays

Our best tip on dog training for the holidays is simple. Don’t let your dog eat chocolate. During the holiday season, from Halloween to right after New Year’s, chocolate is laying around in many homes. Your kids might leave it out, never thinking it could affect their pet. Neighbors and family can bring chocolate over and leave it on counters or shelves. Dogs, especially nervous ones who tend to grab at things left available to them, can easily take a bite or eat the whole thing.

But chocolate is poisonous to dogs. It can cause diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, panting, and extreme thirst. In very serious cases, it can be fatal. A lot depends on the size of your dog. If you have a small breed and he eats a box of fudge, it’s very serious. Even a couple bites of fudge for a large dog can have very serious repercussions and should be address quickly.

Don’t take it lightly, and don’t wait for symptoms to subside. Call your vet immediately. Many vets will want to treat the dog with hydrogen peroxide, which will induce vomiting to eliminate the chocolate from your pet’s system. Do not try to do this yourself; it needs to be done by a trained vet. If your dog vomits, don’t let him or her drink water afterward.

Even if you haven’t seen your dog eat chocolate (or don’t see the signs, like a partially chewed cake), be alert for the symptoms that a dog has swallowed chocolate. They may become very hyper, or pace around at an unusual level.

Protect your dog this holiday season. Put chocolate away in a safe place. Contact Canine Commander to arrange for training your dog today.