Melon’s Miraculous Christmas

Why do veterinarians give activated charcoal to pets who have eaten something toxic?

This lesson will tell the story of Melon, the dog who ate chocolate. After this lesson, you should be able to explain why chocolate is bad for pets, what the signs of chocolate toxicity are, and how and why vets use activated charcoal to treat pets.

Melon’s Stomach Ache

It’s becoming a miserable Christmas Eve. Henry’s chocolate stash has been missing since this morning. He was saving that to help make the day go faster!  His dog, Melon, has been acting weird, as well.  Melon vomited three times (in the living room, kitchen and in Henry’s bedroom). Melon wants to go outside every 10 minutes but he just poops or sits and whines. He doesn’t want to play, not even with his favorite toy! Mom and Dad says he has a bad stomach ache.  Henry writes to Santa Claus to ask him to help Melon.

At the North Pole, Santa Claus has received Henry’s letter by magical express delivery. Henry (on Santa’s “nice” list), has a special request. Melon has a stomach ache. Henry thinks Melon found Henry’s chocolate stash. Henry can skip his presents if Santa can make Melon feel better! Santa immediately sends two elves to deliver what Melon needs to feel better. Let’s learn about what happens to the food Melon eats.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

The Vet Visit

Santa’s little helper greets Henry as he and his parents wait with Melon at the vet.

“Don’t worry, Henry! Santa Claus got your letter. Melon’s going to be okay. The vet and Santa talked. The vet, Dr. Kris, will know exactly what to do!”

Henry, his parents, and Melon go into the exam room. The vet exams Melon and Mom and Dad talk about what happened.

“It sounds like Melon ate some chocolate that’s upsetting his tummy. While dogs can eat some of the same foods as us, a lot of human foods, such as chocolate, will upset their tummies. Chocolate makes dogs ill and their stomachs can’t digest it like we can. We have to be careful what we feed to our furry friends. It’s best if they only eat food meant for them.”

The vet leaves and comes back with a syringe filled with black liquid.

“Since Melon has been throwing up but still isn’t feeling better, we’ve filled a syringe with the charcoal that Santa gave us, mixed with water and peanut butter. We’ll place the syringe in Melon’s mouth so he can swallow the mixture more easily. I bet you’ve never seen this before, right? However, we sometimes help our sick patients feel better by feeding them charcoal. Activated charcoal sticks to the chocolate in the stomach. Then, we will make Melon vomit so that all of the chocolate can come out with the charcoal!”

After eating the activated charcoal, Melon vomits and starts to feel much better. Melon’s stomach must be empty of all the chocolate he ate now! Henry, Melon, and his parents leave the clinic. Melon leaves with bright eyes and a wagging tail. Dr. Kris gave a hearty, “Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas Henry and Melon!”

On Christmas day, Henry and Melon are both happy and healthy as they open their Christmas presents!

We’ve successfully helped Melon get over his terrible stomach ache. Let’s see how the veterinarian knew what to do.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash