Happy Easter! As a kid, I always remembered waking up to an big Easter Basket filled with a big solid chocolate bunny and lots of chocolate goodies inside. Chocolate, a favorite among adults and children alike, could be deadly to our pets. Pet Education.com has published an explanation as to why this favorite adult treat could really do harm to pets.

Some cats tolerate chocolate better than others. Although the toxic dosage varies from animal to animal, everyone agrees that chocolate contains a lethal ingredient, a methylxanthine called theobromine, and that baking chocolate contains 10 times more of this lethal ingredient than milk chocolate.

Theobromine acts on four areas of your cat’s body:

It increases the rate and force of contractions of the heart.
It acts as a diuretic, causing your pet to lose body fluids.
It affects the gastrointestinal system, causing vomiting and diarrhea and it may cause stomach ulcers.
It acts on the nervous system, causing convulsions, seizures and sometimes, death.

Get out those dog toys and take your dog outside for some exercise and keep those dog treats and cat treats on hand. Your best friends will be too full and pooped out to scout out any chocolate left around the house. Seriously, keep all chocolate away from your pet.

Remember, pets are family!

Happy Easter –enjoy your day with great oldies on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website, Edgewater Gold Radio.com.