Pet owners warned to keep animals away from chocolate at Christmas

‘Chocolate toxicity is a real concern,’ says vet

Many festive treats can be toxic to pets (iStock)

Pet owners have been warned to keep their animals away from chocolate this festive season after a dog who ate edible Santa decorations off a Christmas tree was rushed to hospital.

Jenny Pomroy’s small terrier needed lifesaving treatment by PDSA vets after she ate at least four chocolate Santas.

The charity is highlighting the story to warn pet owners to be extra vigilant this Christmas as many festive treats can be toxic to pets.

Ms Pomroy, from, Kent said: “I’d hung chocolate tree decorations high on the tree, as we do every year, but a few days before Christmas I walked into the sitting room to find decorations and tinsel all over the floor.

“Lily must have climbed the sofa and pulled everything off to get to the chocolate. The foil wrappers were gone, so she must have eaten these too.”

She said: “I didn’t realise how dangerous it was, but thankfully I’d heard that chocolate can be really poisonous to dogs, so I called PDSA straight away.”

Ms Pomroy rushed Lily to the Gillingham PDSA Pet Hospital where she was given a drug to safely make her sick and then medication to prevent her body from absorbing any remaining toxins.

PDSA vet Soo Ming Teoh said: “It was a good job that Lily was brought into the hospital. Chocolate toxicity is a real concern and her owners were really sensible to bring her straight down to us.

“The amount of chocolate she ate was dangerous for such a small dog and it could have been fatal if she’d been left untreated.”

She called the wrappers an “additional worry” as they could cause “dangerous gut blockage”.

The vet said: “Lily’s blood tests revealed she wasn’t out of the woods yet. She needed to be placed on a drip to help support her kidneys and we monitored her closely for the next 48 hours.

“Lily was incredibly lucky she didn’t suffer fatal kidney damage, and thankfully she was able to go home in time for Christmas.”

Ms Pomroy is encouraging other pet owners to keep chocolate well out of reach of their pet’s paws this Christmas.

If you think your pet might have eaten something they should not, call your vet immediately as they might need urgent treatment, depending on the amount they have eaten.

Press Association