It was an unexpectedly costly Easter for dozens of local dogs and their owners.
Local vets say the Northern Beaches proved a hot spot for cheeky chompers getting into the Easter choccie stash, with Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) in Balgowlah alone recording 27 cases over the long weekend.
Of SASH’s 27 cases, 13 were chocolate related, six involved hot cross buns or other grape containing foods, and eight were linked to other products toxic to dogs.
Luna the kelpie was one of the many cases. Her owner Alex Swift said: “My daughter got me a block of 85% dark chocolate.
“I left the block of chocolate on the bed and went for a shower, when I came out, I caught Luna in the act. She ate pretty much all of it.”
Knowing that darker chocolate is more dangerous, Swift drove the seven-year-old straight to the vet.
“They got her to throw up pretty much straight away and then they put her on a drip and fed her charcoal. She spent most of Easter day there,” he said.
SASH Emergency Vet Dr Tim Hopkins said the Northern Beaches was notably overrepresented compared to other regions this Easter.
“We had a dog that ate four hot cross buns, one that ate 300g of chocolate and Luna ate a whole block.”
He attributed the spike to the nature of holiday gatherings, with more food left accessible and more socialising happening across households.
“There is more socialisation going on and there is more scraps and barbeques and things like that.”
Dr Hopkins also flagged a separate concern that became more apparent over the long weekend: dogs ingesting discarded fishhooks in public areas.
“People need to have an awareness of the risks of fishing tackles and gear,” he said.
While most dog owners know to keep chocolate away from their pets, vets say hot cross buns are an overlooked risk.
“We always see a few around this time of year and we did see multiple this year,” said a staff member at Allambie Vet.
“Interestingly, we saw more hot cross bun cases.
“Most people are onto the chocolate, but maybe not the raisins in the hot cross buns, which cause them big dramas as well.”
The clinic treated one Cavoodle puppy that had eaten a large Cadbury Easter bunny.
“Make sure chocolate is kept out of reach of dogs and kids or at least supervise your kids when they have chocolate out”
Dee Why Vet treated one particularly determined Labrador that had consumed a large Dairy Milk Crunchie egg, an Easter bunny and six small chocolate eggs.
“The owner called us when she was driving and said I am bringing her in now, so we got everything ready,” said Summer Anderson, trainee nurse at Dee Why.
“We made her vomit and then she was just a bit sleepy but was all fine.”
How much chocolate is too much for dogs?
Anderson said a dog’s reaction varies depending on age, size and medical history.
“There are calculators online, but I would usually say to call a vet, and we can make recommendations,” she said.
At Collaroy Vet, Dr Peter Prendergast said the problem extends well beyond the long weekend.
“Because chocolate is so ubiquitous, it is now not just Easter, it is any time of the year.”
His clinic saw around five cases over Easter, nearly double their usual rate.
While speaking with Manly Observer, a call came in about yet another dog that had eaten chocolate.
“We have just had one while we are talking, someone is coming down,” Dr Prendergast said.
Chocolate contains two substances toxic to dogs: theobromine and caffeine.
According to the Animal Poison Helpline, chocolate ingestion was behind more than 5% of all calls to the service in 2024, making it one of the most common reasons pet owners seek emergency assistance.
While death from chocolate is rare thanks to prompt veterinary care, untreated cases, particularly involving dark chocolate or small dogs, can be fatal.
Symptoms do not always appear straight away.
Depending on the amount eaten and size of the dog, signs can take six to 12 hours to develop.
These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, increased thirst, panting, restlessness, elevated heart rate and seizures.
