Easter Hazards for Pets
3rd April 2020 | Written by Written by the team at Coquet Vets
Spring and Easter are just around the corner and after a wet dark winter many of us are looking forward to it, especially given the current global pandemic is keeping us all inside! Hopefully we will be treated to warmer days where we can bask in our gardens whilst observing the social distancing rules! This will mean our pets will also be basking and exploring our gardens with us! However with Spring and Easter come a few extra hazards for our pets.
1) Easter Treats
Tasty edible treats to us, including our greatly anticipated chocolate Easter eggs and the occasional hot cross buns, are also enticing for our pets! Chocolate contains a compound called Theobromine which can be fatal to our dogs and cats as they can’t metabolise it. Different types of Chocolate have varying amounts of Theobromine with dark chocolate being the most toxic.
The most common signs of chocolate poisoning are: vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, increased urination, an irregular heartbeat, tremors and fitting/seizuring. These symptoms can present within a few hours and up to 24 hours after ingestion. If there is any chance you think your pet has ingested chocolate please call us immediately as we need to make them vomit before the chocolate is absorbed and sometimes other treatment is also required.
Other Easter treats include hot cross buns which contain sultanas and raisins. These dried fruits can result in renal failure in your pets, so again, please ring us if your pet has ingested any of these fruity buns!
2) Easter Decorations
Easter decorations can help us feel in the spirit of things, but please remember any small toys such as little plastic eggs or fluffy chicks can look tempting to our pets too. If swallowed they can be choking hazards and if they reach their stomachs they might not pass through their intestines and cause a blockage, which requires surgery to correct. Both of these cases are emergencies, so please ring us straight away.
3) Poisonous plants and flowers
Common spring time plants that are toxic to our pets include: Lilies, Daffodils, Azaleas and Tulips. Where possible, try not to have these flowers in your garden and be mindful that some Easter bouquets include these flowers as well. Any part of the Easter lily is highly toxic to cats resulting in severe renal failure. If your cat has come into contact with any part of the flower including the pollen then wash the pollen of them so they do not ingest it and call us immediately. Also, please be careful if you are using any slug or snail pellets as these also contains a toxic compound for our pets!
Sometimes our pets are sneaky and we are not aware of them ingesting anything, but if you notice any signs of poisoning for example vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, disorientation or even collapsing; then once again please call us immediately - time really is of the essence!
Easter Lilly (Image: Pixabay)
We hope you all have a great Easter, and this information helps to keep your pets safe at home. Please remember we are only a phone call away on 01665 252 250 if you need us!
