Easter Dangers for Dogs

Easter is a wonderful time to celebrate with your family and friends, enjoying plenty of Easter eggs and treats, but there are a few extra precautions you will want to think about to keep your dog happy, healthy and safe. Here are some of the most common Easter dangers for dogs:

Chocolate

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. The toxic component is called theobromine which dogs cannot metabolize. Small amounts can cause an upset stomach, and large amounts can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack. It’s wise to keep all chocolate away from your dogs this Easter to prevent an emergency trip to the bets, or worse.

Xylitol

It is important to keep all sweets and candy away from your pets, as it isn’t just chocolate that is toxic to dogs. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in many sweets and will cause severe sickness if ingested. Make sure your children don’t share any of their treats with the family pet, there are plenty of dog safe treats that can be purchased from your local pet shop!

Easter Grass

This is the green paper or plastic ‘grass’ found in many Easter hampers and stuffed inside packaging. For the playful dog, this can be too tempting to play with and eat. If your dog eats this it can wreak havoc on the digestive system, causing blockages and getting stuck in their intestines. The better alternative is straw, that looks just as festive, but is much safer and biodegradable too!

As you can see, there are plenty of Easter dangers for dogs, so during this holiday season, keep the chocolate and other treats well out of reach. This goes for dogs and other household pets who may get into Easter baskets should they be left unattended. And, if you’re having an Easter egg hunt, make sure you find all the eggs and don’t leave any tucked in the corners of your home!