A tiny dog had to be rushed for emergency vet treatment after scoffing an entire chocolate Easter egg virtually his own size.
Owner Katy McGarry, from Kirkintilloch, was horrified to find rescue dog Fizz had wolfed down the whole big egg.
Having previously worked in a vet practice, she knew just how dangerous chocolate could be and rushed him to the Vets Now Hospital in Glasgow. And as Fizz, a five-year-old chihuahua cross, weighs a mere 4.5kg, she feared the worst from the toxic effect.
“He has been such a good boy and never ate anything he shouldn’t,” said Katy, who also has two other rescues. “I’d put some Easter eggs under the bed last year and just didn’t think there would be a problem.
“We were having dinner and, when I realised he wasn’t around as always, I went through and found him in the bedroom.
“There was green foil everywhere and the whole egg was gone. It was huge and, as he’s so tiny it really was the same size as him.”
As it was an evening and her own vet was closed, Katy called the Vets Now Hospital. It’s one of more than 60 clinics and hospitals across the UK that are open seven days a week for out-of-hours pet emergencies.
“He’d even eaten some of the foil and I was in a blind panic,” said Katy.
“When I told them how small he was and how much he’d eaten, we were told to get him there as fast as we could.
“I knew the smallest amount of chocolate could do terrible damage, so was thinking that he might not survive.”
Chocolate contains theobromine, which dogs can’t break down like humans and affects the guts, heart, central nervous system and kidneys. It can lead to sickness, diarrhoea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate and seizures.
Vet Emily Todd and the team were waiting at the city centre hospital, and Fizz was rushed straight in for treatment.
“We did a calculation and because of his size and the amount he’s eaten, we were concerned about the possibility of dangerous symptoms like seizures,” said Ms Todd.
“But because he had been brought in very early, we were able to give Fizz an injection to make him sick and he brought up most of the chocolate before it was absorbed into the body.
“We’d always urge owners to keep chocolate away from dogs, but if they do get hold of it, we are always there to advise and give treatment if necessary. Acting quickly is always important.”
Katy was allowed to take Fizz home, with a supply of activated charcoal to help reduce further absorption from any remaining chocolate.
As he now has the taste for chocolate, Katy is taking no risks this year with any Easter eggs being kept out of the way.
“I’d definitely urge any pet owners to be ultra-careful with chocolate at Easter,” said Katy. “The vets were brilliant, but it was so worrying.”