BLACKSBURG, Va. – Valentine’s Day means some of us will be indulging in chocolate or bringing home flowers, but what we love as humans, can be deadly for our furry friends.
Pets, particularly dogs, can’t have chocolate. There are two types of compounds in chocolate their bodies can’t process.
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Veterinarians at Virginia Tech said how sick they could get depends on how much they ate, and the size of the pet.
“If you have a chihuahua that’s eaten a bar of chocolate, that would be a reason to go to your emergency vet,” said Rebecca Persons, Veterinarian and clinical instructor at Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “If you have a Great Dane that’s eaten a chocolate chip cookie, then you can just monitor them.”
Common symptoms of chocolate poisoning include excessive thirst, abdominal discomfort, muscle tremors, high body temperature and seizures.
Chocolate is also dangerous for cats, but vets said they are typically more interested in the flowers.
They said to watch out for anything in the Lilly family.