Friday, October 29, 2010

Tricks but no treats for pooches

Keep chocolate away from dogs

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By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Halloween is spooky and fun. Children collect lots of candy and parents keep treats for trick-or-treaters, but beware of chocolate around pets, especially dogs.

"We get a lot of calls on Halloween," said Dr. Roy Johnson, veterinarian for emergency and relief work at Sun Valley Animal Center and Sawtooth Animal Center. "We see lots of dogs getting into the candy."

Johnson said it's not the caffeine that is in the candy that causes problems, it's the theobromine in the chocolate.

"Chocolate can be toxic," he said. "Normally, I get dogs and evacuate the stomach."

Chocolate is a mixture of cocoa beans and cocoa butter. It contains theobromine and caffeine, which are methylxanthines. Dogs are sensitive to the effects of methylxanthines, which can cause hyperactivity, increased heart rate, tremors and potentially death when ingested at a toxic dose. Other effects seen with a chocolate overdose in dogs are vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, increased urination and lethargy.

The amount of methylxanthines present in chocolate varies with the type of chocolate. The more bitter the chocolate, the more toxic it could be.

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com

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