A dog owner is warning others not to let pets get their paws on chocolate after hers almost died.

Zoey Sivarajah’s labrador/boxer cross Bruiser needed life-saving treatment after munching six boxes of chocolates and a packet of sweets.

Chocolate contains theobromine, highly poisonous to dogs.

Vets at the charity PDSA often see a surge in cases around Easter and Christmas.

Miss Sivarajah, 21, said: “We’d had only been out for an hour but came home to find wrapping and packaging all over the place. We worked out Bruiser had eaten six boxes of chocolate and a packet of sweets. He started being sick and didn’t stop.”

“Bruiser was very lucky – the amount of chocolate he had eaten could easily have been fatal" - head nurse Jennie Keen

Miss Sivarajah and fiance Jazz Holmes rushed Bruiser to the PDSA Petaid hospital in Gillingham Business Park. He has since made a full recovery.

Head nurse Jennie Keen said: “Bruiser was very lucky – the amount of chocolate he had eaten could easily have been fatal. But we were quickly able to give him life-saving treatment.”

PDSA advises owners to store chocolates as safely and securely as medicines when they have pets in their household.

Miss Sivarajah, of Maple Avenue, Gillingham, added: “I knew chocolate wasn’t good for dogs but finding out it could be fatal was a shock. We are so grateful to the PDSA.”