KANSAS CITY — Amanda Moore and her husband were celebrating their wedding anniversary on Friday, February 9.
As a surprise for her husband, Moore arranged dark chocolates on the bed.
But when she came back less than an hour later, the chocolates were gone, shreds of wrapper still visible.
Moore immediately knew what had happened. Their dog, Francie, had found the chocolates.
At first, Moore, her husband, and their three daughters thought it was funny. Moore even recorded a video of her dog being ashamed of what she'd done.
But then it hit her — chocolate isn't good for dogs.
She called the nearest emergency vet clinic. They wanted to know how much chocolate Francie had eaten and what kind.
They determined Francie had eaten enough to be concerned.
Moore's husband rushed Francie to Blue Pearl's 24/7 Emergency Pet Hospital at College and Quivira in Overland Park.
The team there pumped Francie's stomach, gave her a charcoal concoction to absorb whatever was left in her stomach, and hooked her up to IV fluids and kept her overnight. The bill for the visit was nearly $900.
Francie's family said it was a lesson learned but well worth the money.
They hope by sharing their story others will avoid such a scare.
Ryan Bragg, a veterinarian with Blue Pearl, said the problem with dogs eating chocolate comes up a few times a year: Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.
He gave this list of the top dangers for dogs:
- Antifreeze
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Chocolates
- Human medications
- Sugar-free gum
He advises you call your vet if your dog gets into any of these things.
