Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you never know what you’re gonna get. That is, unless you’re Charlie the 9 year old Beagle. She knows exactly what’s in the box, because she ate the whole thing in one go! Charlie’s parents suspected something wasn’t quite right when 600 grams worth of chocolate went missing. Although Charlie appeared to be fairly happy (as most people would be right after that much chocolate), they knew that it was best to have her examined by a vet. Charlie came to SASH Emergency North Ryde to see Dr Mason White. Dr Mason knows that chocolate can be potentially toxic to dogs, causing vomiting, diarrhoea, anxiety, heart problems, seizures and even death.
Charlie was given some medication to induce vomiting, and the results were impressive by anyone’s standard. We lost count after the first few, but the picture is worth 1000 words. It was quite obvious that Charlie was in a bit of a rush, deciding to ignore the traditional technique of chocolate eating (i.e. removing the wrappers first). I guess in some ways, we can be thankful for her speed eating, as a lot of the chocolate was still intact inside the wrappers, meaning not all of it was absorbed.
Charlie’s parents definitely made the right decision to bring her to Emergency. Not only can chocolate be dangerous to dogs, but that many wrappers can also cause an obstruction in the gut, leading to additional problems. As a bonus, we also found onion in Charlie’s vomit. Onion is toxic to dogs as it damages red blood cells and can cause anaemia.
Thanks to Dr Mason’s quick thinking, Charlie was able to return home after her big binge night. The first thing she did after getting home? Look for more food of course! Charlie is clearly a dog who lives life without regrets. We wish her all the best, but hope she stays out of the chocolate tin next time.”
