Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Chocolate-Eating Dog Update

Going by what I read tonight on line about toxic-level dark chocolate doses for dogs, my Llewellyn has apparently dodged a bullet. Again.

(He did this before with half a bag of semi-sweet morsels a year or more ago.)

Meaning, I haven't observed the more serious symptoms of theobromine poisoning described. Last night, I had to pull an all-nighter to work on my final AutoCAD class project, and he lay quietly on the floor under my computer chair, as usual.

Right now, he's chilling out on the downstairs sofa, just shedding, as usual.

No unusual hyperactivity, no tsedrayt behaviour; he has a regular appetite, everything is mostly as usual.

Really, I notice no effects out of the ordinary-- except a heightened urgency to get out the gate to do his business.

Which he is doing with alacrity. I won't get clinical, but going by the list of typical theobromine toxicity symptoms, it's not half as bad as it could be.

But oh my gosh, am I going to have to redouble vigilence or what? Makes me wonder if the plastic chicken fencing I got last year to keep him out of the dining room during Christmas cookie making will work this time around. He's so determined to chow down on anything quasi-edible he can get.

Though if I will leave candy and snacks on the hallway bench, that doesn't pose him much of a challenge . . .
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(I didn't ask the tech at the vet's about it when I dropped Gwenith and Huw in for their spay and neuter operations this evening. Being an Official Poor Person for the nonce, I'm getting it done through a low-cost program that's not patronized by my regular vet. Didn't seem right to sneak in questions about the dog when my only business with this new practice is to get the kittens done.

Though if I'd remembered the toxicity proportions better, I might have asked anyway. 3.5 ounces is really pushing it, even for a dog of Llewellyn's size.)

3 comments:

Sandy said...

Please be extra careful with things like chewing gum that has sugar substitute in it. Or, for that matter, anything that has sugar substitute in it... it is EXTREMELY toxic. It only takes a small amount to put your dog or cat into jeopardy. It can even be fatal. My best friend's dog (about 40 lbs. of dog) got into "grandma's" purse and ate two or three pieces of Orbit (spelling?) gum. It was enough that she had to call animal poison control and then make a trip to the vet the next day for blood work just to make sure there was no damage.

St. Blogwen said...

Thanks. Makes me feel smug and satisfied that I do not approve of sugar substitutes in general. Except for a sugar bowl full of Splenda, for the benefit of those who like that sort of thing. But I shall keep it out of the dog's reach. I had no idea it was so dangerous.

Sandy said...

Most people don't... I am glad I could be of help. My two cats (my "girls") are like my children. So I know how precious your Mogs and Dogs are to you.