Community || Everything About You PAAH Blog Jesi The Chocolate Talk
| Jesi |
| The Chocolate Talk |
| 2008.10.22 19:37:40 | |
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Ahh, the fall season. The temperature is dropping, the colors are changing, and it’s time for lots of fun and festivities. And who can forget the food! This time of year, it’s crucial to be aware of your pets and what they  are eating. With all the special seasonal delicacies around, it’s not hard for your pet to get his or her mouth on something they shouldn’t. While it’s never a ‘good’ idea to give pets food from the table, usually it’s not a big deal if they get a morsel here and there. Life happens and to err is human. But in some cases, that little nibble of table fodder can produce deadly results. From October to February, the risk of a pet growing ill due to something they ate escalates exponentially. The key culprit? Chocolate. Ah, chocolate… so many varieties, so little time to enjoy it all. There’s dark, milk, semi-sweet, or white, chocolate to bake with, chocolate to put on your favorite confection, chocolate to mix in your favorite drink. Chocolate mixed with every flavor imaginable, from every country in the world. Who would have thought that such a delightful and widely-recognized treat could be so dangerous for dogs? So why is chocolate so deadly to our pets? The answer comes from the very source of chocolate – the Cacao tree. Cocoa, along with other byproducts of the cacao bean, contains a chemical compound called Theobromine. This alkaloid is considered a stimulant, similar to caffeine, and has been associated with the mood-elevating effect chocolate has on us. Many common mammals, including humans, lack the ability to metabolize this chemical properly. Humans can tolerate a moderate amount of theobromine in their diets. Usually our bodies are able to tell us well before we reach the toxic threshold that we’ve had too much. Dogs, on the other hand, can only tolerate a miniscule amount in If you suspect your pet has ingested a significant amount of chocolate, Contact Park Avenue Animal Hospital IMMEDIATELY at (407) 880-9446. Have a safe and Happy Howl-o-ween! Tags: pet advice | theobromine | fall | Chocolate
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comparison, but are able to inhale large quantities in a short period of time, without thought to their health.
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Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.