EASTER EGGS ARE delicious, but they’re not good doggy treats.

In fact, feeding your pooch chocolate made for humans could be fatal, Dogs Trust is warning dog owners this weekend.

“Sadly many dog owners are simply unaware of the dangers during this fun and sweet-filled time,” it warned.

Although some human foods are fine in moderation for dogs, this is definitely not the case with chocolate.

Dogs Trust Executive Director, Mark Beazley explained that it’s not just the risks of obesity or eating the foil wrapping that they’re worried about.

“The biggest risk of eating human chocolate is poisoning, resulting in an emergency dash to the vet and sadly even death,” he said.

Why chocolate is dangerous for dogs

Chocolate contains theobromine, which, although tolerated by humans, is extremely toxic to man’s best friend, explained Dog’s Trust.

Make sure to keep the fancy chocolate far from your dog’s paws, as the darker the chocolate, the greater the amount of theobromine.

The toxicity of the chocolate varies according to the size of dog and cocoa solid content of the chocolate.

But as a rough guide, Dogs Trust estimates:

• 50g of plain chocolate could be enough to kill a small dog, such as a Yorkshire Terrier
• Just 400g could be enough to kill an average size dog.

Obviously the dangers of chocolate to dogs doesn’t just apply to Easter eggs, but at this time of year people might have more of the sweet stuff in their homes.

Here is Dogs Trust’s advice on keeping your dog safe from that dangerous chocolate:

• Keep your “chocs away” – hidden out of sight and unavailable to your dog
• Never feed your dog chocolate intended for humans
• If your egg is missing and you suspect the dog is the culprit, contact your vet straight away
• Look out for any of the following symptoms; vomiting containing blood, a sore tummy, excessive thirst, excitability, drooling, rapid heart rate and in severe cases, epileptic-type fits
• If your dog is displaying any of the above signs, take him immediately to your vet.
• There is no antidote for theobromine poisoning – treatment is symptomatic. The sooner treatment is begun, the greater the chance of recovery
• If you want to treat your dog this Easter, stick to natural doggy snacks that are kinder to your canine.

Read: Don’t feed Christmas dinner to your pets, animal owners warned>