Fall Newsletter

A Safe Halloween

With Halloween around the corner, we here at Premier Animal Hospital would like to give you a friendly reminder of the risks this holiday has for our pets. Chocolate is one of the top toxins that affect our pets each year. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which can cause gastrointestinal irritation but at high levels can cause cardiac and even neurological dysfunction that can lead to death. Our pets also have different enzyme systems, which is why this seemingly harmless treat can be fatal to them. Another concern is not only are there higher amounts of chocolate around because of the holiday, but many of these products contain macadamia nuts which are just as toxic. It is very important to keep all chocolate out of reach of your pets. Table and counter tops are not adequate places to hide these products. Dogs love chocolate and will find anyway to get to it. Make sure these items are stored in closed cabinets at all times. It only takes a few seconds for a dog to eat a whole bowl of chocolate. Dark chocolate and baker’s chocolate have higher levels of theobromine so try to avoid any product with these in them. If your pet ingests any amount of chocolate call your veterinarian immediately. Depending on the size of your dog and the amount they eaten will determine if they have received a toxic dose. The sooner action is taken the sooner we can prevent these chemicals from getting into the circulatory system. It is much easier and safer to prevent intoxication then treat it. Please have a happy and safe Halloween and remember that those tasty goodies can be very harmful to our beloved pets so take every precaution to keep them out of reach.

Sincerely
Your friends and family at Premier Animal Hospital