Shih Tzu’s Sweet Tooth Nets Sour Veterinary Bill

Our dog, Tux, is a 12 pound Shih Tzu. Last Thanksgiving, my parents came to visit from Pennsylvania. Since they live so far away from us, they bring our Christmas presents with them, and I hide them in the bedroom closet until Christmas.

Last time when I put them in the bedroom closet, I must not have closed the door all the way. In less than 15 minutes, my husband went upstairs to find the closet full of pieces of paper everywhere, and a partially eaten bar of chocolate. Not only had Tux eaten through the wrapping paper and the shopping bag, but he ate part of the cardboard box that a 10 ounce bar of chocolate was in. All the other gifts were completely intact. We figured he ate about 2 to 3 ounces of the chocolate. We took him to the emergency veterinarian on Thanksgiving where they gave him medication to vomit the chocolate bar. When we came home, he was not as active as he usually is that evening, but the next day he was back to normal. Luckily, I had just purchase pet insurance a few weeks before, and it covered the cost of the emergency visit.