With Halloween right around the corner, it’s important that you take caution with what you give your dogs. It’s customary to give children chocolate, candy, and other delicious goodies, but what we give our kids is not necessarily good for our dogs.
While it’s true that chocolate is bad for our dogs, milk chocolate is not lethal. However, having written that, it’s also important to know that any significant amount of milk chocolate will give most dogs an upset tummy and possibly cause diarrhea or vomiting.
Why is chocolate harmful to ours dogs? The reason is theobromine, the active ingredient in the cacao bean, which is used to make chocolate. Theobromine is not harmful to humans, because our bodies are designed to process it. Dogs’ bodies cannot break it down and excrete it quickly enough; therefore it becomes toxic. Theobromine is a stimulant that can affect the heart, nervous system, and blood pressure.
All chocolates are not the same. Unsweetened (baker’s) chocolate contains eight to 10 times the amount of theobromine as milk chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate falls roughly in between the two for theobromine content. White chocolate contains theobromine, but in such small amounts that theobromine poisoning is unlikely. Caffeine is present in chocolate, but in less quantity than theobromine.
A small amount of milk chocolate for a tiny breed may give your dog an upset stomach, whereas it may not have any effect on a giant breed dog. However, last year when my giant, Chula, decided to eat a whole bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups that we erroneously left on the kitchen counter, that amount did give her diarrhea for a good 24 hours. That was fun…
Here’s a good, all natural treat recipe for dogs. Happy “Howl-o-ween!”
Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Pooch Treats
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin (not seasoned pie filling)
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water as needed
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin, peanut butter, and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Add water as needed, but the dough should be stiff and dry.
4. Roll to 1/2-inch thick and cut with holiday cookie cutters.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until hard.
Robin Massey is the owner of FYDOLAND Dog Care Centers. www.fydoland.com. All comments or questions can be directed to fydosforum@gmail.com.
