A DOG was poisoned and left seriously ill after eating 1kg of mini eggs at its home.

At the beginning of March, a Labrador cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Charlie was discovered by its shocked owners with a chewed and empty mini eggs packet.

The one-year-old pooch had managed to get its paws on the chocolate after jumping the stair gate at its Bournemouth home.

Once the dog’s owners found it with the empty packet and noticing the dog appeared very subdued, they knew something was wrong and immediately called People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

Before they made it to the Bournemouth PDSA Pet Hospital in Castle Lane West, Charlie had vomited five times at home, and continued to be sick during the short car journey.

Bournemouth Echo: Labrador Cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier Charlie.Labrador Cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier Charlie. (Image: PDSA)

PDSA vet, Clare Sparks, said: “We were suspicious that there could be even more chocolate left in Charlie’s stomach, so we gave her an injection to make her sick to empty her stomach completely, and she brought up lots more chocolate vomit.

“Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which is perfectly safe for humans, but toxic for dogs, cats and rabbits.

“The seriousness of chocolate poisoning depends on how much chocolate your pet has eaten, how big they are, and the cocoa content of the chocolate – the darker the chocolate the more toxic it is for your pet.”

Thankfully for Charlie, it wasn’t long after the injection that the dog started to perk up again and was able to head home to fully recover.

Bournemouth Echo: Veterinary surgeon Clare Sparks with dog Charlie at PDSA in Bournemouth.Veterinary surgeon Clare Sparks with dog Charlie at PDSA in Bournemouth. (Image: PDSA)

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs usually appear within two to four hours but can take up to 12 hours. In severe cases, toxicity can cause:

  • Fast breathing or panting
  • Shaking, trembling and tremors
  • High temperature (fever)
  • Seizures
  • A fast heart rate
  • High blood pressure

Clare added: “The most severe cases of chocolate poisoning in pets can lead to heart failure, coma and even death. Although this is rare this is why it’s really important to keep chocolate safely away from prying paws. Especially during festivities like Easter when there’s likely more chocolate than usual in the house.”