04 April 2023 , 11:29
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A puppy was rushed to the vets for emergency treatment after she managed to scoff a whole 1kg packet of Mini Eggs.
The owner of Labrador cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier, whose name is Charlie, stumbled upon the pup and noticed there was an empty packet next to her.
Charlie had jumped up and get her paws on the chocolate and had eaten the whole lot by the time her owner caught her - and all that was left was a chewed empty packet.
Knowing that chocolate contains ingredients that are toxic for dogs, the owners rushed her to the PDSA Pet Hospital in Bournemouth. PDSA, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, is a nationwide charity set up to care for sick animals.
They had to rush Charlie to the pet hospital (Corin Messer Photography / SWNS)
She had eaten 1kg of Mini Eggs (Corin Messer Photography / SWNS)The owners were extremely worried after the pup threw up five times at home and continued in the car.
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PDSA Vet, Clare Sparks, said: "We were suspicious that there could be even more chocolate left in Charlie's stomach, so we gave her an injection to make her sick to empty her stomach completely, and she brought up lots more chocolate vomit.
"Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which is perfectly safe for humans, but toxic for dogs, cats and rabbits.
"The seriousness of chocolate poisoning depends on how much chocolate your pet has eaten, how big they are, and the cocoa content of the chocolate – the darker the chocolate the more toxic it is for your pet."
Luckily for Charlie, the emergency treatment paid off and she was able to head home to fully recover from the very concerning illness.
According to the PDSA, this time of year there is a 23% spike in the treatment used for chocolate and raisin toxicity.
Claire added: "Symptoms of chocolate poisoning usually appear within two to four hours but can take up to 12 hours.
"In severe cases, toxicity can cause fast breathing or panting, shaking, trembling and tremors, high temperature, seizures, a fast heart rate and high blood pressure.
"The most severe cases of chocolate poisoning in pets can lead to heart failure, coma and even death.
"Although this is rare this is why it’s really important to keep chocolate safely away from prying paws.'"