Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
17th October 2020
Choc Shock
I have always enjoyed writing about the more pleasant aspects of my life and work. I am lucky that my work and non-work life overlap happily and that I get to share the lovely things that I see, experience and learn with reader’s, or pre-covid, an audience.
But over the years I have also built up a reputation for being brave enough to share the not-so-nice stuff, and the things that I get wrong. It’s important to share, because just like the good stuff, it might just make a difference to one or two lives.
Last week, in an unusual and avoidable sequence of events, Yogi ended up snaffling half a bar of the richest, darkest, 85% raw cacao chocolate bar. I know that the higher the percentage of cacao, the more toxic it is to dogs, and the smaller the dog the greater the risk. It is all about ratios and milk and white chocolate are also far less likely to have a harmful effect than the rich dark bitter chocolate.
I got Yogi to the vet within half an hour of her eating the chocolate. I also learned on a Dog’s First Aid course that it is always helpful to call ahead to let the vet know who you are bringing in and why. We were immediately ushered into a side room and Yogi was given an injection to make her sick. You can see how dark the chocolate was – apologies to those with a weak stomach. A friend said that photo had put her off chocolate for life.
Theobromine and caffeine are methylxanthine alkaloids, which are found in chocolate. Both are chemicals which are also used medicinally as a diuretic, heart stimulant, blood vessel dilator, and a smooth muscle relaxant. Dogs cannot metabolize theobromine and caffeine as well as people can, which makes them more sensitive to the chemicals’ effects. It is well worth reading up on the subject, and hoping you never have to recall the information.
The sobering thing is that it all happened so quickly. Only an hour beforehand Yogi and I had been walking on top of the mountain without a care in the world. Just a short time later we were both sitting on the floor of the vets with Yogi shaking and vomiting liquid chocolate. Her legs were weak, she wouldn’t stand up and I was absolutely terrified.
An hour and a half after arriving, we were on our way home – Yogi still weak and lethargic and me still terrified. She had to have two large doses of activated charcoal through the following 8 hours, to absorb the rest of any toxins, so it was a long night for me, ironically nervously watching Yogi sleep. The next morning, as predicted by the vet, she was a lot brighter and ate her breakfast as though nothing had happened.
A huge relief, a salutary reminder that life is eggshell fragile and the reason I say my prayers on a regular basis.
Divert Disaster
Ironically a work colleague had told me during the day that we are only ever three decisions away from disaster. Later that night, whilst watching Yogi like a hawk, I mulled it over:
Decision number one: I don’t really like chocolate and had been given a super-duper bar in an attempt to show me that the higher the cacao the nicer the chocolate. Unconvinced, I had put it in my work-bag and forgotten about it, instead of saying, ‘No thanks’.
Decision number two: Normally, I keep my work-bag well out of Yogi’s reach purely because she has a habit of rifling through people’s bags with the enthusiasm of an airport security guard, and which I had always deemed dangerous. I thought the back of the sofa was ‘out of the way’.
Decision number three: I decided to light the fire before putting my work bag away.
I am always slightly paranoid about her (or any dog) eating anything that contains Xylitol – a sugar substitute that can also be fatal to dogs. And I am forever advising people to keep anything that might be harmful to pets, well out of harms way and reminding people about the dangers of pets picking up seemingly innocuous things from the garden, from mouldy bread on a compost heap to the poison that toads excrete. Particularly pertinent to this time of year, daffodil bulbs pose a threat too. All parts of the daffodil are harmful to dogs – even drinking the water that cut daffs have been displayed in can prove harmful.
So, basically, I like to think I am extra-aware and super-responsible, but this episode shook me to the core. It was imperative that Yogi got to the vets within 2 hours before ingestion started to have a detrimental effect. Clinical signs of chocolate toxicosis usually occur within 6–12 hr of ingestion with initial signs including increased thirst, vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Signs may progress to hyperactivity, excessive urinating, difficulty walking, tremors, and seizures. Death is generally due to a heart attack, hyperthermia, or respiratory failure. And yes, dogs do die. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
Apparently with more and more people working from home, and therefore consuming more snacks, there has been an increase in similar cases. Not surprisingly, cases of chocolate poisoning also increase around Christmas and Easter.
So please, please be extra vigilant around your beloved four-legged friend, in the house, in the car, (you’ll be surprised how much food shopping gets unwrapped by a dog before it gets home) and outside with gardening products and even plants.
I have said several times lately, that I am turning from a Warrior into a Worrier and I don’t want to add to peoples already high-levels of anxiety, but if it helps just one dog, it is worth reminding readers that not all poisons have a picture of a skull and crossbones on them.
Feel the Fear and Fly Anyway
I would just like to pay a small tribute to the big-hearted, Welsh wonder woman, Dilys Price OBE, who left us recently. You will never hear her name without hearing words like inspirational, amazing, wonderful, incredible and courageous in the same sentence.
She inspired everyone she met and will leave lasting memories with many more. One of my favourite ‘Dilys-isms’ is, “We all have two instincts; we are hardwired to survive but also to serve. And that is what gives us a good life.”
At a time where so many are just trying to survive, remembering to serve is such profound advice. Dilys also said often that she wasn’t afraid to die, and that would almost certainly have been because she wasn’t afraid to live.
Sadly it is loss that often teaches us the worth of people. Don’t let that be the case. Treasure the people in your life each and every day, not just during these uncertain times but at all times.
To be reminded of Dilys’s immense energy and wonderful attitude, have a look at www.skydiverdilys.co.uk
To find out more about her incredible charitable work visit www.touchtrust.co.uk and to truly be inspired, watch her Ted Talk, ‘It’s Never Too Late’ on YouTube.
I am so grateful that our paths crossed, albeit too fleetingly. Fly in Peace, Dilys.
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