Dogs are admittedly on of the most adorable and cute animals on the planet, millions of people own and make use of them in their homes, police departments and law enforcement agencies, transport agencies, etc. these applications make dogs extremely important to the race and society. There is a reason why dogs are regarded to be “man’s best friend”, a dog loves its owner unconditionally and determines to protect the owner to unbelievable lengths and also, dogs are known to be immensely loyal to its owner. Thus, man sometimes prefer the company of dogs to the other human company as they, dogs, are the best friends alive.
Feeding your dog is one of the ways to ensure its survival; every living thing must eat to survive, thus, the creation of dog food in various categories and proportions, beginning from infancy (pup), the food gradually changes in nutritional attributes and volume up till the dog’s adulthood. The joy a dog shows when it is about to be fed knows no bounds and the owner contacts this, most dogs even jump up and devour the food before it hits the floor!
Considering the relationship and bond a dog and its owner most times share, most owners prefer feeding their dogs from their plates, that is, human food, regardless of the availability of abundant dog food. Owners share snacks and other food with their dogs, such as; chicken, rice, noodles etc. however, some human food have proven to be quite dangerous for dogs, the most constant and possibly the most dangerous is human’s most eaten snack; chocolate. The dangers of chocolate to your dog and what to do after your dog eats chocolate are discussed further.
CHOCOLATE AND DOGS
As a dog owner or lover, you come home, devouring your delicious chocolate snack, your dog runs to welcome you, sees the food, wags his tail, widens his eyes, begging for an handout. chocolate is the one snack you have to hold back from sharing with your canine buddy; as the sweet treat can lead to severe illness and even death in dogs, vets have accredited that chocolate consumption in dogs is one of the most common cause of dog poisoning.
Chocolate is hazardous to dogs; nonetheless, the danger of chocolate to your dog depends on the type of chocolate, the amount consumed as well as the size of your dog. A large dog could consume more chocolate than a small dog before suffering any bad effects.
A chocolate chip cookie can cause problems for a little dog and a bag of chocolate chips can spell trouble for a big one.
After a dog consumes chocolate, you should call your vet immediately without any hesitation of any form. Typically, your dog will vomit on his own, if not, your vet might want you to give him hydrogen peroxide to make him throw up, after the dog throws up, do not give him any food or water.
The signs to look out for, if you think your dog ate chocolate, can take up to 6 to 12 hours to show up, these symptoms include; extreme thirst, diarrhea, too much energy, and pacing, panting, shaking, seizures. Most dogs survive because of quick-acting owners.
Most dogs eat almost anything they see and they do not know when they are full, the substances to avoid are dark chocolates, baking chocolate and dry cocoa powder. Never consider chocolate as a reward, always provide healthy food, treats, or simply reward your dog with lots of love and attention.