Story at a glance
- A Staffordshire bull terrier in the U.K. consumed six packets of Christmas chocolate coins.
- The dog was quickly rushed to a pet hospital where vets were able to perform surgery.
- Chocolate can be toxic for dogs, with the ingredient theobromine contained in all types of chocolate able to cause diarrhea, vomiting and pancreatitis.
One lucky dog in the U.K. experienced a true Christmas miracle after eating multiple chocolate coins, receiving life-saving surgery in the nick of time.
A Stafford bull terrier named Hugo consumed six packets of Christmas chocolate coins and was quickly rushed to a pet hospital where vets had to decide whether to operate just as Christmas was approaching, according to the BBC.
Hugo’s owner, Amie, told BBC that they had left home temporarily and came home to find torn-up pieces of foil all over the floor with no chocolate in sight.
“At first Hugo seemed fine, but I felt sick with worry when he began vomiting blood. He then had a seizure which was terrifying, so I called PDSA immediately,” said Amie.
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A nurse at the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, known as PDSA, said Hugo was very lucky to have been brought in when he was as the animal could have died if he had not been treated in time.
“While he’s not completely out of the woods yet, thankfully Hugo is now at home on strict rest, and on the road to recovery,” said Donna Southwould, a PDSA vet nurse, to BBC.
Chocolate is known to be toxic for dogs, and the Animal Health Foundation says the ingredient theobromine is the culprit. Any dose of theobromine over 45 mg/kg is considered potentially toxic and possibly lethal for dogs. Milk chocolate contains between 44-65 mg of theobromine per ounce. However, the weight of a dog and the type of chocolate consumed can determine the toxic dose.
Some of the serious reactions that can occur in dogs that consume chocolate are severe stomach and intestinal upset, pancreatitis, diarrhea, vomiting and more.
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