Candy Can Kill Your Pet, So You Better Watch Out! Part 2

Candy Can Kill Your Pet, So You Better Watch Out! Part 2

  One of the most deadly foods our pets can consume is chocolate, which contains both caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine and theobromine are nervous system stimulants. Theobromine is also a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic that can cause your pet’s heartbeat to accelerate or beat irregularly, which can lead to death, especially with exercise. If your pet ingests chocolate, within a few hours they will become hyperactive, pass large amounts of urine and become dehydrated. Other signs of chocolate toxicity are shaking, nervousness, and overreacting to touch, noises, lights and sounds. The fat that is in chocolate can also lead to vomit or diarrhea in your pet, although white chocolate has a lower risk than dark chocolate for causing harm. 
However, chocolate isn’t the only thing that can cause your pet harm. All sugary foods such as candy can lead to obesity, diabetes and dental problems that can, in the long-term, shorten your pets lifespan or require costly procedures. Also, make sure that your children don’t leave their candy or chocolate wrappers lying around after sorting or trading their candy, as your pet can choke on the small wrappers.
Make sure that your trash can and bags of garbage are out of reach and inaccessible to your pet, as many things that we throw away can lead to illness, serious harm or even death for our beloved animals. If your pet eats chocolate contact your Boca Raton Veterinarians!