What to do if the dog ate chocolate?
Attention danger of poisoning: If a dog has eaten chocolate, he needs your cool head. You do not know what to do? A few tips on how to help your darling.
The best way to get to the vet as quickly as possible: especially if a very small dog is snacking on chocolate, you need to act. Tip: Do not hesitate if you caught your darling doing it. Chocolate poisoning is more dangerous for the four-legged friend than it seems at first.
If the dog nibbles chocolate: Off to the veterinary surgeon
Your darling does not show any symptoms of chocolate poisoning yet? Good! But no reason to do nothing if your dog has eaten chocolate. On the contrary, now you need to be quick: At the beginning, the substance theobromine, contained in the cocoa bean, spreads in the animal’s body externally unnoticed. It’s true, small amounts of chocolate do not necessarily harm a large dog. But do not rely on it. In any case, you should make sure that as little theobromine as possible enters your dog’s bloodstream – you have a maximum of two hours to do this. See a veterinarian as soon as possible!
Make dog vomit: Then it’s right
If you have too long a way to go to the vet, then try to make the dog vomit – but only if you are really sure that your dog has eaten chocolate and chocolate poisoning is imminent! In other types of poisoning, vomiting can still make the symptoms worse. Before we get to how to induce vomiting in a dog, here are a few important points to keep in mind:
● Only induce vomiting when the dog is awake and conscious.
● Do not induce vomiting if your dog is showing symptoms of disorientation or balance problems.
● Never induce vomiting if the dog has eaten corrosive or caustic substances, including bleach, cleaners, fertilizers, detergents, nail polish, chlorine, and others.
● Do not induce vomiting with salt because of the risk of salt poisoning.
● Do not induce vomiting with home remedies such as milk, oil or egg whites.
● Basically be very careful and always take the dog to the vet afterwards.
If you are sure that your dog has eaten chocolate, it is best to mix some mustard with water, lift the upper jaw with one hand, press the lips on the teeth and instill the liquid with a disposable syringe or similar device. Then stroke the neck and keep the mouth closed. If your dog licks his lips, he has probably swallowed the emetic and, at best, is vomiting. Tip: Give your pet plenty to drink after vomiting. Only in this way can the dog make up for the loss of water in the body caused by the poisoning. Important: Vomiting does not replace a visit to the vet!
Fatal snack eaten: React calmly to tension
When a dog has eaten chocolate, it appears tense. The theobromine triggers strong inner restlessness in your four-legged friend. You yourself should therefore remain all the more calm and not panic. Just imagine that you yourself have drunk a few cups of coffee too much. It is similar if a dog has eaten chocolate – with the serious difference that for the quadruped life danger exists.
Do not dwell too long on trying to treat your four-legged friend yourself. How strong the poisoning is, you can not estimate yourself. A veterinarian can stop the theobromine much faster and treat your dog appropriately. But first of all, the doctor will try to stabilize your four-legged friend and remove the poison from the body.
