A quick little post about chocolate and your pets

We know you love chocolate. We know you love your cat or dog. We know that you may love sharing a scrumptious piece of chocolate at the end of a hard day with Fido or Mittens. It's wonderful that you love your pets so much that you can't resist giving them a special treat, but chocolate is poisonous to your animals. There's no ifs, ands, or buts, about it.

We've heard the excuses before: "He's a big dog; it won't bother him!" or "I just give her a little every now and then". The fact remains that your animal, regardless of how big or small, cannot digest chocolate. Chocolate possesses theobromine, a naturally occuring chemical in cacao that is similar to caffeine. While it's a great pick-me-up for humans, dogs and cats lack the specific enzyme needed to properly metabolize it. Overdoses of theobromine can lead to seizures, convulsions, and even death.
Here's a quick overview of how much chocolate can cause a problem:

4 t0 10 ounces of milk chocolate or 1/2-1 ounce of baking chocolate for small dogs such as toy poodles and chihuahua

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of milk chocolate or 2 to 3 ounces of baking chocolate for medium sized dogs, like cocker spaniels and dachsunds.

2 to 4 1/2 pounds of milk chocolate or 4 to 8 ounces of baking chocolate for large dogs, such labs and collies.

You may be thinking, "Well, that's a lot of chocolate for a dog to eat! I only give my dog small pieces". Consider this: if there was something that was only slightly poisonous to your child, would you still feed small pieces to him or her? Probably not.

What do you do if your beloved Flopsy or Mopsy scarfs down a cookie or two? Depending on how large your pet is, chances are you simply need to keep a watchful eye on him/her, looking for any unusual signs. If, however, Fido eats an entire box of baking chocolate (believe us, it can happen) call your vet or an emergency vet clinic immediatley.

So, take good care of your pets! They are counting on you to give them only the best. If you want to share something special with your pet, try one of the recipes below. Save the chocolate for yourself!

Bone appetit! (Haha get it?)

Yummy treats for your dog!

Homemade treats for your cat!