Aside from Christmas, Easter is probably the time of year where there is most chocolate readily available in the house. With this in mind, vets are warning of the dangers chocolate poses to dog health care and encouraging dog owners to be vigilant against their pets eating any.

Chocolate can kill dogs because it is so toxic to them. Symptoms to look out for when a dog has eaten chocolate include vomiting, diarrhoea, shaking and seizures. It can also cause an increased heart rate in the dog. It is no exaggeration to say that the dog may well die from chocolate poisoning if he or she is displaying these symptoms.

The problem with chocolate is that it contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which are seriously toxic to dogs. Dark chocolate and cooking chocolate are the riskiest because they contain the chemicals in the highest quantities, but cakes and chocolate covered sweets also pose serious risks. The toxic effect of the two substances is related to the dosage, which means that a mere bite may well be enough to kill a small dog.Death from this kind of poisoning can take place between 12 and 36 hours after ingestion, and there is unfortunately no known cure. However, a dog that has eaten chocolate and that is displaying the aforementioned treatment should be taken to a vet as soon as possible for dog health care treatment that may be the only chance of saving its life. If caught early enough the vet may be able to make the dog be sick and give it drugs to prevent further ingestion of the chocolate.