People 'forget' dogs are dogs

At Easter each year, warnings are issued to pet owners not to feed chocolate to their beloved moggy or pooch.

Do not hide eggs where they can find them, as chocolate contains a substance which can kill dogs and cats.

While adoring owners might believe their pets deserve such treats, at Easter vets are inundated with cases where the family pet has been poisoned by chocolate. MORE>>

Rover and out if you give chocolate eggs to dogs

Easter might mean chocolate to many but vets are warning people not to give their pets the treat. Emergency visits to vets spike over the Easter long weekend.

The chemical found in chocolate, theobromine, triggers the release of the euphoric hormone, seratonin, in humans but in dogs it can lead to intoxication and poisoning.

"Because of their indiscriminate eating habits, Easter is one of the times we see a lot of dogs with chocolate intoxication," says emergency vet Dr Sarah Haldane, from the University of Melbourne's vet clinic. MORE>>