Easter is almost here! We all enjoy gathering with family and hunting for chocolate eggs however, this can cause serious illness in our pets too. This holiday, please make sure to keep your pet safe and minimize their chances of being exposed to any of the following dangerous Easter treats. If your pet does ingest any, please contact Livingston Animal Hospital or Burlington Veterinary Emergency and Referral Clinic at (905) 637-8111 immediately.
1. Chocolate
Easter is the APCC’s top day for chocolate intoxication calls, topping Christmas, Valentine’s Day and even Halloween! Pets can find Easter candy hidden around the house or the yard and get into unattended Easter baskets. Ensure all candy is out of reach of pets at all times especially when it will be unsupervised.
2. Lilies
True lilies (with the Latin name starting with Lilium) or daylilies (Hemerocallis) may cause acute kidney failure in cats. Easter lilies(Lilium longiflorum) are included in this and homes with cats should be very careful. We would discourage them from even entering houses with cats, but if they must be there, make sure cats can’t access any part of the plant, including falling leaves, the pollen or the water flowers were stored in; all can all cause life-threatening signs in cats.
3. Easter Grass
The plastic grass that is found in Easter baskets is appealing to pets but can cause a life-threatening gastrointestinal obstruction that may require surgery to resolve.
4. Table Food
Onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, grapes, and raisins which are commonly found in our meals are actually toxic to pets and should not be given to them. Even foods that aren’t toxic may cause stomach upset that could lead to pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas gland that causes severe abdominal discomfort as well as potential permanent damage to other vital organs such as the kidneys if left untreated.
5. Herbicides
Many people begin spring yard work on Easter weekend. Keep herbicides where pets can’t chew or puncture the bottle. Also, make sure that application is dry before letting the pets outside. Pets are exposed when they are outside while their owners are spraying these products. While many herbicides are not highly toxic, any exposure does warrant a call to Livingston Animal Hospital.
For more information on toxic substances for pets, please visit http://www.aspcapro.org/
The above information is provided from their website.
