Chocolate may have won your heart, but it isn’t a pretty safe food product to feed your four paws. So don’t leave your chocolate espresso, truffles, desserts, or other cocoa-based items unattended on the kitchen table, in the living room, or pet accessible areas. Now, you don’t want your fur baby getting intoxicated after sipping coffee or nibbling on the chocolate bars left out in the open, do you?
The contents of chocolate can be highly toxic to your furball, be it white or dark chocolate. If your fluffy pal managed to chomp on some in a brief moment when you weren’t looking, then their health could be at high risk. During pet emergencies and through other days of accidents, illnesses, or injuries, you can take help from your cat insurance.
The best pet insurance provides comprehensive medical cover for your pet while minimizing your pet’s health expenses. Broad health cover offers many benefits, including accidents, non-routine vet visits, dental issues, diagnosis, hospitalization, treatment for specific illnesses, and more. You may not be able to forgo pet health expenses; so, why not look for ways to lower them so the whole affair can be less financially cumbersome.
Purchase pet insurance, but right now, we have answers to some common questions around chocolate consumption and eventual toxicity in cats.
Q1. What chocolate compounds cause toxicity in cats?
The major players are – Caffeine and Theobromine. Whether in small or large concentrations, these compounds potentially cause clinical signs in feline pets on consumption.
Q2. What are the symptoms of chocolate intoxication in cats?
If your furry companion has ingested chocolate-based food items, symptoms may show anywhere between three to twelve hours of eating, and the signs may last for up to three days in serious cases. Look out for any of the below signs that can be concerning.
- Anxiety
- Panting
- Reduced appetite
- Increased thirst
- Excessive urination
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Rising heart rate
- Seizures
Q3. What to do when cats eat chocolate?
It is essential to monitor your fur baby’s body temperature and heart rate to know when the condition is tipping to a dangerous point. However, you don’t need to wait until things get out of hand and it is definitely best not to. Take your pet to your vet or nearest pet emergency clinic as soon as possible, as delaying the treatment may prove fatal to your fur ball. Also, you may ring up the pet poison helpline for timely advice in the meantime.
Have some crucial details ready before you head to the vet.
- What chocolate product has your munchkin ingested? (Note down the brand or product content details)
- The quantity of chocolate your cat may have eaten.
- Time of ingestion.
- Symptoms you have observed in your pet since ingestion.
You need to provide these vital pieces of information so your vet can analyze your kitty’s health status, evaluate potential risks, and come up with a treatment plan.
Q4. What steps can the vet take to cure a chocolate poisoned cat?
Your vet may induce vomiting to decontaminate your fur baby. Even so, if the first solution fails, your vet may pump out your munchkin’s stomach contents after sedating it. Or sometimes, the vet may resort to activated charcoal to treat cases of severe poisoning.
The vet more likely suggests medications, hospitalization, and monitoring as a part of supportive care in critical cases. Be prepared with the best pet insurance so dealing with unanticipated vet visits and pet health emergencies can be less stressful. Cat insurance offers your feline family member excellent medical care at affordable costs.
