How Much Is Too Much?

These dental treats are pretty tasty, but you must protect them from your greedy sisters.

Hi, all, Lily the Corgi here.  First off, I have to say "sorry" for missing my blog post last week.  My secretary (aka Mama) was having some problems and didn't have time to help me with my typing.  Anyway, I'm a week late here, but I think you'll find this blog quite informative.

First of all, let me set the scene:  Mama had gone to the grocery store while my fur sisters and I played outside; when she got home mama let us back in the house and we all played a while and then the rescue lady came and took our foster dog Canyon away.  Canyon has gone on what they call "transport" to a rescue in Colorado, where they'll help her find her forever home.  Mama was really sad--I think she wanted Canyon to stay and live with us.  When daddy came home, he felt sorry for mama and decided to take her out to dinner to cheer her up.  

While they were gone, my nosy sister Lucy decided to snoop around a little...you see, mama was putting away groceries when the rescue lady came and had left a couple of grocery bags on the kitchen floor.  That's a recipe for disaster at our house!

Mama and daddy came home and immediately saw there had been some sort of packaging shredded on the living room floor.  Upon closer inspection mama realized it was a present she bought for daddy--a 7 oz solid milk chocolate Easter bunny from the clearance bin at the store.  There were pieces of box all over the place, but not a sliver of chocolate was anywhere to be found.  Mama lined us girls all up and asked us who ate the chocolate.  She actually sniffed my breath and said I smelled a little like chocolate to her.  I have no comment on this.

Mama tells us that chocolate is bad for dogs.  Well, she must have thought this fairly large bunny was a big problem so she got really worried and hopped on the internet to find the answer to the burning question, "How much chocolate is too much chocolate for your dog?"

Did you know on petmd there is a little program where you can put in the weight of your dog, along with the size and type of pilfered chocolate and then the program will tell you how much trouble you're in?  Mama found that milk chocolate is the LEAST dangerous type of chocolate for dogs (well, except for white chocolate which isn't really chocolate at all.)  Since mama didn't know who ate the chocolate or whether we shared the ill-gotten gain, she decided to go with the worst possible scenario.  With that, she found out that if either Lucy or I had eaten a whole 7 oz solid milk chocolate Easter bunny from the clearance bin at the grocery store, we could expect to suffer only "mild to moderate" symptoms; and if Sadie ate the whole bunny, she'd probably have no difficulties at all.  The little program told mama that we should be watched and taken to the emergency vet if we showed serious symptoms such as:  confusion, increased temperature, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, seizures, weakness or coma.  The mild to moderate effects that could be expected were vomiting and diarrhea--now don't ya know mama was looking forward to that!?!

Well, as it turned out, no one got sick, which made mama assume we all three shared the stolen bunny (again, I have no comment on this.)  Mama was pretty relieved that her carelessness hadn't poisoned any of us girls and says that should be a reminder to everyone that it only takes a little slip-up to put your doggies in jeopardy.  If that bunny had been dark chocolate, it could have killed one of us!

She looks pretty innocent, but under that sweet facade lies the heart of a food kleptomaniac.

Mama felt really bad that she'd left that bunny down where Lucy could get it.  Daddy, on the other hand, was just ticked off.  You see, he has a tough history with gifts of food.  One of the most memorable of these incidents involved my cousin Quincy the ancient wiener dog and a wrapped box of beef jerky under the Christmas tree...I bet you can see where that went!

Today, mama and daddy were both back in good humor; they took us to the dog park to romp in the grass and swim in the little lake.  We had a very good time and we didn't have to share our parents with any fosters.  Mama says that is supposed to change tomorrow when the rescue lady brings us a new guy to take care of until he can catch his transport to a new life.  I hope this one has some house manners!

Well, that's it for this week folks.  Enjoy this lovely spring weather--you know it is going to get hot and muggy someday soon, so take advantage of it while it's nice.  And remember, if your doggies have any sort of chocolate indiscretion, you can get valuable information from the little program at 

http://www.petmd.com/dog/chocolate-toxicity

Take care of each other, til next time!

Love ya,

Lily the Corgi

Here I am, looking lovely and drying in the sunshine after a dip in the dog park lake.