Note to Self this Easter: Chocolate and Dogs Do Not Mix Well

As Easter approaches, many of us will be stocking up on gifts for our loved ones. The most popular gift being chocolate in some shape or form. From the huge chocolate bunnies to the delicious Cadbury creme eggs, there are so many treats to choose from.

I will be the first to admit that I tend to go a little chocolate crazy at Easter time. I use the excuse 'I'm getting all of this for my godchildren' just to make myself feel better about how much I tend to buy. However, there is one thing I have to remind myself every year. Keep the chocolate out of reach from my dog.

If you were not aware, you will run into a serious problem this holiday if your dog manages to get their paws on chocolate! I learned this lesson just a few days before Easter last year when my mischievous Lilly Grace decided to steal my chocolate covered raisins off of my kitchen counter. She didn't eat many, but I knew that it could be harmful to her so I immediately called my vet and he told me to bring her in ASAP.

When I got there, the first thing he asked was what kind of chocolate she got into. I could see the the panic in his face subside slightly when I told him that it was milk chocolate. Of course this prompted me to question his reaction.

He explained to me that different kinds of chocolate have a different level of concentration. The cheap milk chocolate is not highly concentrated and not extremely harmful to dogs. The worst chocolate a dog could ingest is dark chocolate. It could actually kill them because of the high chocolate concentration. After hearing this, I was relieved myself.

The vet told me that the most the milk chocolate would do would cause her to throw up and/or have diarrhea. He also informed me that if Lilly were to get a hold to chocolate again, to try making her throw up (the popular method is putting peroxide down the throat). Thank goodness my little canine girl was just fine, but it definitely scared the heck out of me.

My advice to you this Easter would be, if you have dogs, make sure all candy is where they cannot get to it. Lilly was able to climb on the back of my sofa to get to the chocolate on the counter. Make sure there is no way for them to climb or jump to get to it either.

Think about it this way, the less your dog gets into, the more you have for yourself! Have a safe and Happy Easter Dawgs!