Chocolate Toxicity Affects Nearly 8,300 Pets
It's delicious to us, but chocolate can be a toxic danger to pets - especially around Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our team at Trupanion found that nearly 40% of all chocolate toxicity-related claims happen in October, November and December.
Key Findings
- 8,300 Trupanion pets have been treated for chocolate toxicity since 2020
- Chocolate toxicity-related illnesses spike by 96% in December
- Chocolate toxicity-related illnesses have increased 18% since 2020
Chocolate toxicity in cats and dogs
Chocolate is toxic to pets because it usually contains both caffeine and theobromine, two stimulants that can lead to an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, tremors, and seizures.
In all, Trupanion has had 8,300 chocolate toxicity claims since 2020. The number of claims also appears to be on the rise. Since 2020, the number of pets with chocolate toxicity-related illnesses has increased by 18%.
California, the most populous state, had the highest number of chocolate toxicity claims overall with 1,040. But seven Canadian provinces and 25 U.S. sates have had more than 50 claims in the last few years. Keep in mind that these numbers reflect only the 1.1 million pets insured by Trupanion, because of that the total number of pets treated for chocolate toxicity is likely far higher.
Chocolate toxicity in Canada
Province | Claims in Oct. / Nov. | Claims in Dec. | Total claims |
|---|---|---|---|
Albert | 96 | 128 | 656 |
British Columbia | 90 | 113 | 502 |
New Brunswick | 14 | 16 | 68 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 32 | 41 | 208 |
Nova Scotia | 19 | 29 | 141 |
Ontario | 131 | 141 | 812 |
Quebec | 21 | 14 | 99 |
Chocolate toxicity in the United States
State | Claims in Oct. / Nov. | Claims in Dec. | Total claims |
|---|---|---|---|
California | 160 | 185 | 1,040 |
Colorado | 22 | 35 | 181 |
Connecticut | 21 | 36 | 145 |
Florida | 91 | 63 | 467 |
Georgia | 20 | 16 | 93 |
Hawaii | 11 | 8 | 64 |
Illinois | 29 | 21 | 140 |
Louisaiana | 13 | 24 | 181 |
Maine | 21 | 11 | 67 |
Maryland | 20 | 8 | 76 |
Massachusetts | 89 | 99 | 485 |
Minnesota | 8 | 18 | 68 |
Nevada | 27 | 21 | 108 |
New Hampshire | 15 | 12 | 73 |
New Jersey | 50 | 50 | 317 |
New York | 99 | 89 | 518 |
North Carolina | 28 | 32 | 150 |
Ohio | 10 | 5 | 55 |
Oregon | 22 | 21 | 111 |
Pennsylvania | 18 | 18 | 110 |
Tennessee | 9 | 13 | 53 |
Texas | 29 | 33 | 192 |
Utah | 14 | 11 | 59 |
Virginia | 23 | 19 | 117 |
Washington | 68 | 82 | 410 |
Chocolate toxicity in pets around Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Chocolate toxicity-related illnesses happen year-round, but we found the number of pets treated for chocolate toxicity starts to increase around Halloween and continues rising the rest of the year.
December is by far the worst month for chocolate toxicity-related illnesses. Over the last five years, the number of pets treated for chocolate toxicity increased by 96% in December - going from 789 claims in November (the second highest month) to 1,552 claims in December.
Chocolate toxicity in pets by month
- January: 710
- February: 656
- March: 614
- April: 708
- May: 490
- June: 579
- July: 484
- August: 546
- September: 543
- October: 628
- November: 789
- December: 1,552
Signs of chocolate toxicity in cats and dogs
If you believe your pet has ingested chocolate, the first thing to do is talk to your veterinarian. The amount of chocolate, the type of chocolate and the size of your pet are all important factors veterinary professionals will need to know. Commons signs of chocolate toxicity usually start around 2-12 hours after ingestion and include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Increased heartbeat or irregular heartbeat
- Fast breathing
- Restlessness
- Hyperexcitability
- Tremors and/or seizures
- Fever
About truInsights
The data presented in this report is part of Trupanion's truInsights initiative. truInsihgts is a data focused initiative introduced by Trupanion and designed to deliver valuable health-related data and insights to pet parents, veterinarians and pet lover alike. With over 20 years of pet health data, Trupanion has explored its veterinary invoice data from more than two million pets and provides details on data trends, as as prevention tips for keeping our pets safe.
About Trupanion
Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, and certain countries in Continental Europe with over 1,000,000 pets currently enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada. Policies are sold and administered in Canada by Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba Trupanion 309-1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, BC V7J 0A2 and in the United States by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. is a registered damage insurance agency and claims adjuster in Quebec #603927. For more information, please visit Trupanion.com.