Well, it’s that time of year again… Halloween!
Halloween just happens to be my favorite holiday next to Christmas. I just can’t get enough spooky. Plus, I get to dress up my dog! My old dog, Blue, wore a pumpkin costume each year that she looked adorable in (and didn’t even mind wearing it!) Look out for a blog about costume ideas coming up tomorrow!
But for today, I wanted to touch upon something very, very important when it comes to your furry friend and Halloween.
Chocolate.
During this time of year, chocolate is around in bigger quantities, and we sometimes forget to be careful with where we put it. This heightens the risk of your dog getting to it. I am sure you all know by now that chocolate is not good for dogs. But in case you think the risk is exaggerated, or just want to knowledge yourself about why chocolate is so bad for dogs, I’ll provide some information courtesy of the ASPCA website.
- Chocolate contains methylxanthines, a caffeine-like stimulant and high amounts of fat
- The combination of these ingredients causes the following symptoms upon ingesting significant amounts: vomiting and diarrhea to panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases
- The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is
- Though white chocolate has the least fat and methylxanthines content, it can still cause vomiting, diarrhea and pancreatitis
Chocolate is to dogs as prescription drugs are to humans. If you ingest a large amount of a prescription drug, you might die, just as dogs can if they ingest a large amount of chocolate. However, don’t think this means it is safe for your dog to consume any (even very small) amounts of chocolate. All dogs react differently to chocolate, just as all humans react differently to certain drugs. Any amount of chocolate can harm a dog.
So, enjoy your Halloween, but make sure your dog isn’t the one enjoying the chocolate!