Don’t give them chocolates!

Having pets is a serious responsibility. They’re practically fully dependent for their food, shelter, well-being and happiness. Knowing, and practicing, what’s best for them is a minimum obligation of pet owners.

I’m one of the countless individuals who became a parent to pets, particularly dogs, though I also have cats who kept on multiplying that I already lost count on how many they are now. I’m so engrossed with them that I started to research on how to best take care of them.

My columns for the last few years tackled issues of national impact with the hope of humbly contributing to our common nation-building agenda. I guess it would be good to devote this space now for our pets, dogs particularly. But in general, let’s address the situation of dogs in the Philippines. This is the least I can do to help build a stronger awareness on their welfare. Maybe compared to the more colossal concerns on the economy, calamities and national security, the welfare of dogs is relatively lighter. But to many, including myself, this is truly a relevant topic.

For example, owners must know what are the foods that dogs can safely take or must absolutely avoid. To my surprise, two of my good friends who are extremely fond of dogs didn’t know that chocolates must not be eaten by “man’s best friend.” Yes, chocolates, especially the pure and unsweetened powder, are toxic to them. These seemingly harmless favorite of kids and adults alike can actually be fatal to dogs because it can destroy their liver due to the theobromine that also slowly destroys their body systems.

Humans can easily digest and metabolize theobromine, dogs can’t. How much chocolate can they tolerate? According to veterinarians and experts, anything above an ounce per pound of their body weight can be lethal. Therefore, if your pets accidentally or willfully ingest chocolates, treat this incident as a medical emergency. Don’t anymore compute how much they ate. Just bring them immediately to the nearest clinic, hopefully within an hour, so that there’s a chance for them to vomit out the harmful substance that they took.

For those who would carelessly argue that their dogs have been eating chocos and their pets are still fine, well, you have no idea of the inimical effect happening in their bodies. Just make your own research, you don’t have to take my word for it.

Take care of their emotions too. I learned it the hard way. My favorite pup had an emergency because, according to our vet, I failed to give him enough attention. He had muscle spasms and seemed to be constantly crying. I was guilty as charged because of the extreme workload that I have. I was reprimanded to maintain the routine that I used to have with him, such as tagging him along during weekends and properly bidding goodbye daily before I go to work. His vet gave him a complete dose of Vitamin B and I pampered him with several car rides. He’s so strong immediately after our first long drive to our usual drive-through fast food chain (we didn’t buy burgers, I’m a pescetarian). I found out that they really love car rides and would always peep at the windows because they are ecstatic with the thousands of scents that they can smell in the air.

Expand our concern to the others, especially the stray dogs. For several times already, I saw obviously fearful dogs who could have lost their way back to their homes. The same in both the North and South Expressways (NLEX and SLEX). They were sheepishly walking at the sides with their tails in between their legs. A clear sign of distress and intense anxiety. I wanted to stop and pick them up, but I could not anymore do a sudden turn. I wish that the management of these expressways will have a fixed program on how to spot them and save them from sure death that can even trigger car accidents.

We have enough laws that recognize and protect the rights of animals. Foremost of which is Republic Act 1998 that intends to penalize cruelties inflicted on animals. From a few thousand pesos to P50,000 and up to at least one year imprisonment can be meted to violators. However, according to some reports, at least 500,000 dogs are being slaughtered yearly for their meat. Hopefully, this can be stopped and those who disregard this law will be caught and punished.

Again, being the human parent of pets requires serious responsibility. We must enjoy this privilege while also becoming mindful of what they need from us. We can enjoy the world together.

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