With Easter having just passed, there are no doubt many of us that have a fridge full of left over chocolate from the holiday period (not to mention the addition of a few kilos around the hips - but that is not the topic of this post!). Although it may be tempting to share this chocolate with your loving dogs, it is wise to resist the temptation for a number of reasons noted below.

Cocoa and dogs

Put simply, cocoa is no good for your pet. The cocoa in chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which if ingested by a dog will cause a high similar to caffeine does for us two-legged folk. Darker chocolate and baking chocolate contains more cocoa and hence more theobromine, increasing the risk of poisoning your dog. Chocolate intoxication of your dog can hence occur by feeding your cat or dog chocolate. Visible signs of intoxication are your pet vomiting and/or having diarrhoea. In extreme cases, although rare, chocolate intoxication can be fatal.

Substitutes

Finding a chocolate substitute for your dog is easy. There are a wide variety of dog-specific “chocolate” treats available from pet stores / online pet retailers. In addition, carob, the popular chocolate alternative for humans, is fine for dogs (in small quantities). Yes carob does contain theobromine, however it is in such small quantities that your dog would have to literally eat kilograms of carob to have an adverse affect.

Summary

For special treats that your dog will enjoy and that is safe, use an alternative to chocolate. My vote is for carob as it is readily available and a cheaper option than the dog-specific chocolate substitutes sold at the local pet store.

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