NASSAU, Bahamas -- You can spoil your loved one with chocolate and spice your chicken souse with onions, but if you care about your pet, make sure you never feed them either.
That was part of the message delivered by Bahamas Veterinary Association Dr. Bridgette Johnson last month when she addressed more than 100 students at St. Anne's School.
Dr. Johnson's appearance was part of a campaign by the Washington, DC-based Pet Food Institute to increase awareness about the importance of proper diet and care for dogs, cats and other domestic pets. Nearly every student at the school knew bones were bad for dogs, cats love tuna and every pet should be taken to a vet early in life for shots.
What they didn't know was why or why foods like chocolate, onions and grapes are bad for dogs.
"Dogs can't absorb chocolate into their systems like humans can," said Dr. Johnson, whose clinic is on Prince Charles Drive. "It causes the dog's heart rate to get too high and their hearts can stop. It can also cause vomiting, seizures and diarrhea and in a worst case scenario, even death." While dark chocolate is healthier for humans, it's the worst for dogs.
"The darker the chocolate, the more harmful it is to the animal," said Dr. Johnson.

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