With Valentines Day & Easter coming up the chances of chocolate ingestion by a family pet are increased. The ingestion of chocolate by a family pet can be a dangerous situation. It is advised to contact your veterinarian right away if ingestion is suspected or confirmed. Chocolate contains caffeine & theobromine which are classified as methylxanthines (meth-əl-’zan-”thEn). Theobromine is the most concerning toxic component causing hyperactivity, increased urination, ataxia (loss of coordination of the muscles), tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, and even death. Symptoms occur within 6-12hrs after ingestion. Other effects include cyanosis ( bluing of the mucus membranes due to a low oxygen level in the blood), Hypertension, hyperthermia, & coma. White chocolate, milk chocolate, dark sweet & semi-sweet chocolate, baker’s chocolate, dry cocoa powder, instant cocoa powder, cocoa beans, coffee beans, and cocoa bean hulls all contain Methylxanthines. The milligram strengths vary so please contact your veterinarian immediately if any of these are eaten. Your veterinarian will want to know your pets approximate weight and the amount and kind of chocolate that was eaten to be able to asses the severity of the situation.  On another note chocolate products are usually high in fat so an animal with a pre-existing illness like diabetes, heart disease, history of pancreatitis and so on may be a risk for further complications.