Tips For The Week!

Alison’s Tip

Halloween is this week and I see a fair share of chocolate toxicity in pets.  Everyone always asks me, “How much chocolate does my dog need to consume to develop a toxicity?”  Toxic doses of theobromine (the active ingredient in chocolate that is toxic) are 9 mg per pound of dog for mild signs, up to 18 mg per pound of dog for severe signs. Milk chocolate contains 44 mg / ounce of theobromine while semisweet chocolate contains 150 mg per ounce, and baking chocolate contains 390 mg per ounce.  For more information on chocolate toxicity in pets, please visit Forever Freckled this Friday, where I will chat in more detail.  Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

Katie’s Tip

Glow sticks, necklaces, and bracelets are very popular during Halloween.  The substance inside these glowing items is usually dibutyl phthalate– a clear, oily, colorless liquid. It is generally low in toxicity but can cause irritation to any part of the body that it comes into contact with, including the eyes, skin and mouth. Here are the following recommendations if your child comes into contact with the liquid inside glow sticks:

Ingestion:

• Wipe the mouth with a clean wet washcloth; go over the tongue and around the gum line.
• Give the child up to one-half cup of water.

Eye Exposure:

• Irrigate exposed eye(s) with a generous amount of room temperature water for at least 10 minutes.
• Call the Carolinas Poison Center for ongoing irritation, swelling, pain or sensitivity to light.

Skin Exposure:

• Remove any clothing that is wet with the liquid.
• Wash exposed areas of skin well with soap and water.