I am an Easter statistic.
I know I’m not supposed to put my paws on the table, the counter, or any place other than the floor, but I pretend I don’t.
My human had placed five chairs around the dining room table- my hiding place when I snatch something I’m not supposed to have. The table is wide enough that they can’t reach me when I crawl under there with whatever contraband I’ve snatched. It’s a fun game, although they’ve ignored me, making it less fun. My Aunt Katy, who I adore, sent them squirt water bottles to startle me when I do such things. I’m not wild about this new weapon, I tell you.
But I digress.
My human had placed Reece’s chocolate rabbits, all wrapped up in foil, underneath the cloth napkins at each place setting.
They don’t usually go through all that rigamarole of setting a table with flowers and a fancy tablecloth, so there was a twinge of excitement in the air. Would other humans be coming over for me to climb all over and lick?
I hoped my brother, Thomas, would come. He takes me outside a lot, and I was in for another real treat. My Uncle Rick and Aunt Sally came. Sadly, they didn’t bring their 100-lb dog, but hopefully, I’ll visit him in Ottumwa sometime. I hear there’s a lot of open running around to be had there. That is my favorite thing to do—zoom, zoom, zoom.
One human returned to sleep because she had been up early to publish a Roundup. My other human worked in the kitchen while I tried everything possible to get his attention. Jumping on the leather sofa, grabbing socks, stealing paper towels to shred….the usual antics. But he was busy putting something that smelled good into the oven.
Eureka!
I showed him! I put my snout up to the rim of the dining room table and captured a chocolate rabbit. I gorged on it for minutes before he realized what had happened.
Oh, was that good!
I ate the feet up to the rabbit’s belly before getting caught.
I have never seen my human as worried as he was when he saw the half-eaten rabbit. Maybe one time before - when I locked myself in the bathroom, but that’s another story. Click here.
He later recalled that chocolate isn’t good for puppies and could be fatal. The first thing he did was go to the Internet, where he learned that dogs eating chocolate on Easter spiked 373% in emergency calls to veterinarians over the Easter previous year.
Chocolate contains chemicals called methylxanthines, specifically theobromine and caffeine. These chemicals are stimulants that can lead to cardiovascular and neurological stimulation in dogs. It can cause rapid breathing and feelings of restlessness. It’s very similar to a person taking too much caffeine.
A small amount of chocolate ingestion might produce only a bit of vomiting or diarrhea, but large ingestions can cause seizures and even death.
There was a place on the computer he could click to have a live conversation with a vet, but he hung up when asked for a credit card. That caused him to stop and debate whether to pay for advice or watch me die.
I’m still here.
He called the emergency number from my vet's answering machine and called Iowa Veterinary Specialties, and a nice person named Crystal (sp?) asked him a series of questions.
How much do I weigh (22lbs)?
How much chocolate did I eat (half a rabbit)?
What kind of chocolate was it (milk chocolate)?
He told her the rabbit also contained ‘peanut butter.’
She asked if I was active or sluggish—I am always active—so she didn’t think there was cause for alarm.
For your information (and Halloween is the next big chocolate event), the number is 515-280-3051. Hopefully, you won’t need this, but my human entered it into his cell phone.
Imp!
I was so glad to hear there was no cause for alarm and J. Dudley is alive and well and continuing to test the patience of his humans. Much like a furry kid...ya gotta watch him all the time. :)