CLEVELAND — With Halloween being just around the corner, local veterinarians have some tips on what to do if your pet eats candy.
According to Tremont Animal Clinic, dogs tend to be the pets getting in trouble with candy.
Emerald Animal Clinic said chocolate toxicity is the biggest concern for pets.
"Luckily most Halloween candy is milk chocolate and smaller, the larger the dog the more it will take to cause an issue. Smaller dogs can get very sick on a fairly small amount of chocolate - a 4.5 pound Chihuahua can have toxicity eating a few Hershey kisses," Emerald Animal Clinic said.
Tremont Animal Clinic said pet owners can find chocolate toxicity calculators online to determine how much it impacts the size of your dog.
Both veterinarians said chocolate toxicity can cause vomiting and diarrhea. If a lot of candy has been eaten, it could be fatal.
When in doubt, call your veterinarian or take your pet to the nearest emergency animal clinic.
According to Tremont Animal Clinic, you can help your pet by making them drink peroxide if you can't reach a clinic right away.
"Usually starting with one tablespoon every five minutes until vomiting is induced. If this isn't working the pet will need to be induced with medication at a clinic," Tremont Animal Clinic said.
Sometimes candy wrappers are ingested which increases the chance of a small intestinal obstruction, especially in smaller dogs.
"I have seen one dog that was obstructed by candy wrappers, and although not ill from the candy had to have surgery to remove the wrappers," Tremont Animal Clinic said.
For more information on toxic foods for pets or if you think your pet may have been exposed, click here.
