Woofles and meowz pet bakery

Today its gonna be a baking day here at Woofles and Meowz with "Bis-Scotties"....get it?!?!? on the roster to make....yes I know...I am too funny! At least the dogs are happy with the results.
Today is timely as we are making two different types. One is a peanutbutter, banana and carob and one is an applesauce, pumpkin, banana and spice.
It is timely because usually after Christmas and this year is no exception dog owners are concerned with any and all chocolate consumption by their dogs.
Almost everyone has the story of how Fido ate a box of black magic chocolates or a dairy box of chocolates off the coffee table while they were out well....

Everybody has heard the old story....chocolate is poisonous to dogs. The fact is THIS IS TRUE! Chocolate contains significant levels of a substance known as Theobromine as well as caffeine (drug class: Methylxanthines) which are extremely toxic to dogs (and cats to a lesser degree). These substances are present in all types of chocolate although the darker the chocolate the more theobromine present. In dogs this substance can cause vomiting, nausea, hyperventilating (accelerated breathing) and accelerated heart rate. In more severe cases it can causes seizures and even death. Even small amounts of chocolate given over a long period of time can have detrimental effects to certain organs (eg, liver). The only way to prevent any harm being caused is to ensure your dog has no chocolate whatsoever unless it is specially formulated for dogs. Although even this can lead to problems such as obesity and tooth decay if fed in too large quanities or if fed too frequently.

Sweets/candy can also pose a threat to your pet. This is not due to the sugar content (although this can cause the usual health problems if fed in unsuitable amounts: obesity, tooth decay, diabetes etc) as most mammals are suitably adapted to process sugar efficiently (dogs and cats DO HAVE A PANCREAS! and it works very well) the main problem is that most of the sweets available today contain various sweetners as well as sugar and, like theobromine in chocolate, these sweetners contain some substances that are fairly toxic to dogs and cats many of which can have a profound effect on the central nervous system leading to symptoms similar (if not more severe) to those of chocolate toxicosis.

The simple answer is DO NOT FEED CATS AND DOGS candy or chocolate.

natural sugars are so much better for both people and pets with people being able convert them better than animals. Carob, bananas, apple pieces and pumpkin are great alternatives to any and all sugary treats you may be tempted to give your pooch.
IF you think the dog or cat has got into some chocolate and it is displaying any of the above symptoms...I would take a quick trip to the vet.
and save the treats for yourself!