RSPCA warns chocolate is toxic for furry friends as Easter approaches

Chocolate, hot cross buns, and onions are all foods that can be tasty for us but toxic for our pets, the RSPCA has warned. RSPCA WA is reminding people during the holiday season that certain human foods can ruin your pet’s day if consumed. Google data shows searches about dogs eating chocolate rose by 400 per cent over Easter in 2021 compared with other times of the year. RSPCA WA head vet Shannon Page said hot cross buns, onions and fatty barbeque leftovers could cause major implications to a dog’s health. “Just 50g of milk chocolate can be enough to poison a small dog, darker chocolate contains more cocoa, so the same amount will be even more toxic,” she said. “Cooked bones are brittle and small shards can get stuck in your animal’s throat or pierce the stomach lining, surgery to remove an internal blockage is expensive and will easily creep into the thousands.” Signs of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive urination and hyperactivity. More serious symptoms are depression, coma, seizures and even death.