You might not think of Easter as a dangerous time of year, but every Easter we see many sick dogs related to one very common Easter treat: chocolate. 

Does your dog love treats? Has he or she been known to get into things they shouldn't? Easter poses a high-risk time for dogs as chocolates are routinely hidden around households all around Australia. With a keen sense of smell and a strong appetite, dogs are notorious for finding those chocolates before the kids do! Chocolate ingestion can result in significant illness and even death. 

What is it about chocolate that's so bad? Chocolate is made from the cacao bean which contains theobromibe and caffeine.  These compounds are metabolized much slower in dogs than in humans. The dog's body is unable to clear the metabolites quickly, and this results in chocolate's toxic effects. 

The concentration of theobromine in chocolate varies depending on the type of chocolate: the darker the chocolate, the higher the theobromine concentration, the more dangerous the chocolate.  

Type of chocolate: Theobromine concentration (mg/100grams) 

• White chocolate: 0.9 mg
• Milk chocolate: 155-210 mg
• Dark chocolate: 490-850 mg

How much chocolate is toxic to a dog? Aggitation, hyperactivity and gastrointestinal signs (drooling, vomiting and diarrhea) can be seen as low as 20 mg/kg of theobromine. Signs of early chocolate poisoning include also increased thirst, panting, restlessness, excessive urination, fast heart rate, muscle spasms, and sometimes seizures. 

In addition to theobromine, chocolates are often high in fat which can lead to painful gastrointestinal upset and sometimes pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas.) Chocolates wrapped in foil or plastic pose another problem: obstruction of the GI tract due to non-digestibility.  

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What should I do if my dog eats chocolate? Contact a veterinarian right away! They will tell if you a toxic level of chocolate has been ingested. If this is the case, the vet will likely want to induce vomiting (if it has been eaten within 4 hours) and administer other life-saving treatments (IV fluids, muscle relaxants and gastric lavage) if necessary. The sooner the animal is treated, the more likley the dog is to survive. 

So play it safe this Easter and keep your dog far away from any chocolate. After all, you and the kids should be the ones enjoying the tasty treats!