Puppy saved by PDSA after chocolate binge

24 March 2016

Beagle pup Jessie almost came to sticky end after gobbling up three chocolate Easter eggs – foil wrappers and all – but was saved by quick intervention from PDSA.

The seven-month-old puppy’s owner, Justine Parsons, came home to find the curious canine had opened her daughter’s bedroom door, climbed onto a desk and wolfed down three milk chocolate eggs.  

Justine said: “Jessie usually greets me when I come home but this time she was subdued and quieter than usual, and her tummy looked really swollen. I was really worried, then when I found the ‘tin-foil massacre’ remains of the wrappers I immediately called Croydon PDSA, who advised me to bring Jessie straight in.”

PDSA Vet Nurse Rachel Beedle, said: “Chocolate is poisonous to dogs as it contains a chemical called theobromine, which can cause kidney failure. Although milk chocolate has lower levels of theobromine than dark chocolate, Jessie had eaten a large amount; which could have proved fatal.”

“Most of the chocolate was still in Jessie’s stomach so she was given medication to make her sick. She had also swallowed some foil wrapper, which could have caused further internal damage.  Jessie was then given activated charcoal to prevent any further absorption of the toxins.”

Thankfully Jessie responded well to the treatment and was able to go home that evening. Owner Justine said: “When I arrived to collect her, I couldn’t believe how quickly Jessie had recovered – she was bouncing about and making friends with all the receptionists!” 

Vet nurse Rachel added: “Jessie made a full recovery and there was no lasting damage from her ordeal. But vets see hundreds of cases of chocolate poisoning a year and, sadly, not all have a happy ending.”

Justine now keeps all chocolate locked away in high cupboards, well out of reach of prying paws to prevent any further incidents. She added: “I knew chocolate wasn’t good for dogs but I didn’t realise how toxic it was. Without the treatment from PDSA she could have died. I’m so grateful to PDSA for their help, as she means the world to my family. I work part-time but it’s difficult to make ends meet, I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”

Our dedicated team at Croydon can see around 100 pets in a single day and provide around 38,000 treatments every year, ranging from operations and emergencies to routine preventive care such as vaccinations. 

 



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