Sweet but Dangerous: Chocolate and Hot cross buns during the Easter period

Grapes, raisins, and sultanas are well-recognised causes of acute kidney injury in dogs with some cases reported anecdotally in cats. Ingestion should be treated as a potential emergency regardless of the amount consumed.

Clinical signs often begin with gastrointestinal upset:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Lethargy
• Abdominal pain

within the first 6–12 hours, but renal injury can develop rapidly, with oliguria or anuria occurring within 24–72 hours in severe cases.

The exact toxic mechanism remains uncertain, although tartaric acid in grapes is now suspected to play a role.

Early decontamination is key. Grapes and raisins may remain in the stomach for prolonged periods, so inducing emesis can still be useful several hours after ingestion.

A single dose of activated charcoal (often combined with sorbitol) is typically administered to reduce gastrointestinal absorption of the toxin.

For patients with significant ingestion, it is difficult to be confident that all gastric contents have been evacuated. In these cases, hospitalisation with intravenous fluid therapy is recommended for renal protection, with monitoring of kidney parameters every 24 hours for 48–72 hours.

This allows early detection and management of acute kidney injury should it develop.

If you are uncertain whether the amount ingested warrants hospitalisation, a quick call to the Australian Poison’s Helpline can be helpful.

Chocolate ingestion remains one of the most common toxicities seen in dogs, particularly around holidays such as Easter.

Chocolate contain methylxanthines theobromine and caffeine, which dogs metabolise poorly. These compounds stimulate the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and the severity of toxicity depends on:

• The type of chocolate
• The amount ingested
• The size of the dog

Dark and baking chocolate contain the highest concentrations of theobromine and therefore carry the greatest risk, whereas milk chocolate is less concentrated and white chocolate contains negligible amounts.

Clinical signs typically develop within 6–12 hours and may range from gastrointestinal upset:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Restlessness
• Panting

to more severe neurological and cardiovascular effects such as:

• Tremors
• Seizures
• Tachycardia
• Arrhythmias

As with grape toxicity, early intervention is key. If ingestion is recent, induction of emesis is recommended to reduce absorption, often followed by activated charcoal administration. Here is a chocolate toxicity calculator you can use as a rough estimate of what amounts are toxic, and should you pet display any issues please talk to your vet.

Patients that have ingested potentially toxic doses may require hospitalisation for monitoring and supportive care, including intravenous fluids and treatment for arrhythmias, hyperthermia or seizures as needed.

Southpaws’ emergency service will be open throughout the Easter period to support all your emergency patient needs, so please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 1300 264 933.