Romeo Tan had a scare when his dog ate chocolate

The home-grown actor rushed his pet to the vet after she accidentally ate the confection - which is toxic to canines

- Joanne Soh

When Romeo Tan came home from work one night and saw chocolate wrappers on the floor, his heart sank.

He knew immediately that his pet dog Tigger had eaten the chocolates, as the female miniature schnauzer had the habit of sneaking around and stealing snacks.

The local actor rushed Tigger, who looked unwell, to a 24-hour emergency animal hospital, where the vet induced vomiting to flush out the toxins.

“Tigger had to be hospitalised for two days. Thankfully, she pulled through and recovered well. She gave me a big scare,” says Tan, 40.

Although that incident occurred in 2015, it was an experience that Tan will never forget. He had then just returned from Melbourne, Australia, after filming The Dream Makers 2.

“I had bought chocolates as gifts. They were nicely wrapped, so I didn’t think Tigger would touch them,” he says.

According to the Royal Veterinary College in London, chocolate is harmful to dogs because it contains the toxic compounds theobromine and caffeine, which dogs cannot metabolise properly.

The severity of the poisoning depends on the type of chocolate, the amount ingested and the dog’s body weight, with darker chocolate being more dangerous.