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Last Updated: Sep 2nd, 2008 - 19:12:01 |
(ARA) - It was early November, and Dr. Gregory S. Hammer, a veterinarian in Dover, Del., was treating a miniature poodle that was very sick. So sick, in fact, that it was suffering seizures. After a detailed examination of the pet and a conversation with the owners, Dr. Hammer determined that the cause of the animal’s problem was chocolate poisoning.
This case occurred a few days after Halloween, and the pet had been left at home all day with ready access to Halloween candy. Dr. Hammer estimated that the dog consumed the candy that morning, and, by the time the pet owners returned home, it was already too sick to recover. The dog died a short time later. This isn’t the only patient that Dr. Hammer has lost due to chocolate poisoning, especially after Halloween. Sadly, it’s relatively common.
That’s why Dr. Hammer, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), advises all his clients to take caution during holidays when there may be sweets around the house, particularly Halloween. Holidays are a lot of fun for families, but may be dangerous and stressful for animals, particularly dogs.
Dr. Hammer says that Halloween candy is unhealthy for dogs in two ways: chocolate toxicity and bowel obstructions. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more deadly it is. That’s because it’s the cocoa -- which some researchers say is beneficial for people to consume -- that is the deadly ingredient for dogs. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous because it has the highest cocoa content. But even if candy isn’t chocolate, it can still be potentially deadly for dogs. For instance, an over excited dog may swallow a candy whole, resulting in a bowel obstruction a few days later.
“Obviously, the solution for that is to put the candy up,” Dr. Hammer says. “Many children like to come home after going house to house on Halloween and dump their bags out on a coffee table or on the floor to see what they’ve got. Put the candy away in a cabinet. Don’t leave it unattended.”
Dr. Hammer notes that among his clients he’s noticed that dogs most commonly suffer unduly with stress on Halloween. Naturally protective of their home, dogs are sensitive to having many strangers stop by for a short visit on the front stoop and ring the doorbell.
Cats, alternatively, may be a little scared on this holiday, but they generally deal with it by hiding until it’s over, Dr. Hammer explains.
For dogs that do find Halloween overwhelming, Dr. Hammer said that there are medications available. “Sometimes I advise clients that an anti-anxiety medication is a good idea for a dog that is having troubles on Halloween, and sometimes a tranquilizer can help the animal deal with it,” Dr. Hammer says. “Sometimes to avoid a problem with a dog that gets into property damage due to stress, it’s advisable to board a pet on Halloween to avoid that anxiety. If you know your pet is prone to problems on Halloween, speak to your veterinarian now and make plans to help relieve the stress on your pet, or, if necessary, to remove your pet from this stressful environment for a day.”
The AVMA Web site, www.avma.org, offers a great deal of information on this and other health issues for pets.
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