Last week, two of the calls I received on the Veterinary Emergency Helpline happened on Good Friday.

The first of these calls was about a two-year-old beagle called Pepa who managed to get at and devour an entire Easter egg. It happened to be one of those luxurious, dark chocolate Easter eggs. The owner was very concerned as she had heard that chocolate can be highly toxic to dogs… and she was right.

Chocolate contains substances known as methylxanthines that include caffeine, the primary ingredient in coffee, and theobromide, the primary ingredient found in products derived from the cocoa tree. Humans can digest these substances far more efficiently than dogs. There is also the factor of size: since dogs are generally smaller than people, any amount of chocolate we are able to easily ingest would be much harder on their digestive system. Consider then the effects of a large Easter egg consumed at one sitting as Pepa did – it would be too much for a human, let alone a dog.

Remember to keep the good stuff well out of reach of your pets and do whatever you can to keep your pets safe and comfortable

To give a realistic idea of how much chocolate is considered unsafe, it is known that for a dog weighing only five kilos, a couple of small squares of milk chocolate weighing 85 grams (3oz) can cause mild to moderate symptoms of toxicity. To compound matters for dogs, the darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. So, for a five-kilo dog, the same amount of dark, bitter chocolate can result in severe toxicity and sometimes even have fatal consequences.

With our growing awareness of the healthier credentials of dark chocolate for human consumption, the availability of this grade of chocolate in households is far more likely than it was just a few years ago. Therefore, the danger to dogs has increased.

The symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs vary. They can range from a simple matter of vomiting and diarrhea to the more serious symptoms of rapid breathing and muscle rigidity, life-threatening dangers of an increased heart rate, reflexes and violent seizures.

I am glad to report that Pepa is fine. Having had the presence of mind to immediately seek veterinary advice, her owner quickly administered half a glass of water with a spoonful of salt stirred into it, and within a few minutes a huge blob of chocolate came up. Apparently, Pepa did spend a day feeling sorry for herself and she did manage to sick up a couple more times that day, but was perfectly fine by the next day.

It is worth keeping in mind that this salt and water solution is an excellent form of first aid if you are faced with a case of poisoning. Occasionally, dogs suffer from accidental intoxication when they eat chemical substances such as snail bait, which they find particularly delicious.

Sadly, dogs are also sometimes maliciously poisoned. A salt and water solution is the first thing you should think of – particularly within the first half hour of ingestion and, obviously, the sooner the better. You can use this solution when dealing with certain substances such as rat-bait, snail-bait and overdoses of human or veterinary medical pills.

The second call I received was of a totally different nature, but equally interesting. Just before noon on Good Friday, a blinding flash of lightning struck land and the thunder clap that followed was very loud and unexpected.

Within minutes, Tuta’s owner had called the helpline with a full rundown of events. Tuta is a six-month-old chihuahua who was fast asleep in her cot when the thunderclap happened. As Tuta’s owner told me, her dog got a big fright. She was whimpering and could not stop trembling.

In such cases, there is no better treatment you can offer than your own tender loving care. If your dog is small enough that you can lift it and hold it in your arms, the best thing you can do is to hug it and speak to it in soft tones to calm it down.

If your dog is large, you can hold it close, talk to it and stroke it. I am frequently told by dog and cat owners alike that their pets exhibit extreme fear of the loud fireworks that go off during summer. Comforting your pet is the best thing you can do to allay its fear.

There are, however, a number of solutions your veterinarian would be able to offer in certain stressful situations, which I find all too often pet owners are unaware of, so it would always be a good idea to discuss such issues with your veterinarian as well.

Holidays and festivities always bring with them sweet goodies and loud bangs, so remember to keep the good stuff well out of reach of your pets and do whatever you can to keep your pets safe and comfortable.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.

5250 2000 is the Malta Veterinary Association 24-hour service. In case of emergency, you can have your pet attended to at any time of day or night by the roster vet on duty.

7940 40 30 is a veterinary helpline intended to give immediate professional advice on how best to deal with emergency situations. In case of need, you will be directed to the roster vet on duty.

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