Easter is early this year, and many of us are looking forward to cooler weather, an extra-long weekend and time with family, friends and our pets.

It can be tempting to get caught up in the exciting flurry of Easter eggs, faux rabbit ears and pictures of fluffy chicks everywhere, and to want to share your Easter treats with your beloved pet.

It’s important to remember, however, that chocolate is poisonous to pets, and eating those Easter eggs can cause your pets to become seriously ill, and even die.

Many of us like to treat our pets with a tidbit once in a while, and this is unlikely to harm them as long as they don’t have too many treats, and it’s not something that is toxic to them. But chocolate is one of the foods that’s dangerous to many animals.

Chocolate contains cocoa, which is toxic to dogs and other pets. Importantly, the toxicity increases as the cocoa content of food increases.

The toxic effects of the chocolate ingestion depends on the size of the dog, the type and amount of chocolate eaten. This is why many people might hear stories of dogs getting away with eating a little bit of chocolate relatively unscathed.  

Chocolate poisoning can also occur occasionally in other animals, such as cats, so be equally vigilant with your chocolate around any and all animals.

While some types of chocolate are more dangerous than others, the best way to ensure your pet doesn’t risk chocolate poisoning is to avoid giving them any at all.

Chocolate smells sweet to most animals, and they might set out to investigate where that sweet smell is coming from, so make sure no chocolate is left lying around somewhere your pet can get to it.

Around Easter, vets often see pets with chocolate toxicity because they found “forgotten” eggs after the annual Easter egg hunt – so make sure you thoroughly clean up your yard of all chocolate before letting your pet back out.

If the worst should happen, and you think your pet might have eaten some of your chocolate, take them to the vet immediately. Signs of toxicity include:

Make sure your pet enjoys Easter as well, and give them safe, pet-friendly treats – and remember, this doesn’t include chocolate!