Hide The Chocolate: ‘Tis The Season For Dog Poisonings

Christmas is the season to poison your dog with chocolate, according to a new study that shows that as human chocolate consumption surges around the holidays, so do accidental dog poisonings. The study showed a dog that gets into the chocolate probably won’t die or suffer long-term damage, but be prepared to clean up a mess.

The study from researchers at the University of Liverpool published Wednesday in Vet Record found a “seasonal peak” in chocolate poisonings in dogs. Pooches also are at heightened risk of chocolate poisoning around Easter.

Chocolate contains theobromine, a stimulant similar to caffeine, can lead to accelerated heart rates, agitation, seizures and vomiting.

The study shows that dogs love chocolate of all kinds — chocolate bars, boxed chocolates, chocolate Easter eggs, chocolate cake, chocolate rabbits and Santas, chocolate Advent calendars and chocolate tree decorations. For the most part, the dogs didn’t eat a lot of chocolate before getting sick, but one ate a garden of Easter eggs hidden for a large party of children, the authors said.

The authors suggested that veterinarians warn their clients about the seasonal chocolate consumption, “particularly in the run up to Christmas and Easter as chocolate becomes more accessible within the household." They also suggested that young children may be giving the chocolate to dogs, not realizing it is dangerous for them.

Researchers have long recognized chocolate as a common cause of intoxication in dogs, but the study's authors wanted to find out if chocolate poisonings followed any seasonal pattern. They analyzed records from 229 veterinary practices in the U.K. from 2012-2017, and found that trips to the vet increased around Christmas and Easter.

The study took into account influential factors, such as the age, gender and breed of the dog, and then analyzed 386 cases involving 375 dogs. They found that in one in four cases, dogs began showing symptoms of poisoning within an hour of eating the chocolate. More than half became sick within six hours.

The most frequent symptom was vomiting, which 17 percent of the dogs exhibited, and 7.5 percent had an accelerated heart rate above 120 beats per minute. About 3 percent showed signs of agitation and restlessness, and none of them had seizures or exhibited life-threatening symptoms.

The study also showed younger dogs are more likely than than older dogs, ages 4-8, to get sick from eating chocolate, and no particular breed seemed more susceptible than another.

Chocolate poisonings were four times more likely to be reported at Christmastime, and almost twice as likely around Easter, than on regular days There weren’t any recorded peaks around Valentine’s Day and Halloween, also big chocolate-consumption holidays.

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