Easter dangers for dogs and cats.

Easter is a lovely time of year, it's nice to see a bit of colour and wildlife and plants are starting to wake up after a long drab winter.

Unfortunately it doesn't come without it's dangers especially for our pets ie chocolate and poisonous plants eg Lilies.

Chocolate.

Chocolate is toxic to both cats and dogs and even the wrappers if swallowed can cause intestinal problems

and blockages.

Chocolate has a high fat content and contains caffeine and theobromine, which stimulate the nervous system and can be toxic if taken in large amounts. Depending on the type of chocolate ingested and the amount eaten, various problems can occur. White chocolate has the least amount of stimulants and baking chocolate has the highest.

The signs to look out for are, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination, and excessive panting. The high fat content in chocolate can also cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

Easter Lilies.

Easter Lilies are popular around this time of year, and even though they might be nice to look at they are poisonous to our feline friends as our related plants such as tiger lily, day lily and asiatic lilies.

It's not just the eating of leaves you need to worry about, because even if your cats just brush against the leaves and then lick the pollen off there fur can be fatal.

The first signs of poisoning are vomiting, Over the next 12 to 24 hours, the cat may start to urinate frequently, but then urinating might stop altogether, which is a sign of kidney failure. If not brought to a veterinarian, the cat will die within four to seven days. Other signs to watch for include drooling, loss of appetite and decreased activity. The vet will give the cat intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and save the kidneys, Lilies are usually not as toxic to dogs, but may cause some gastrointestinal distress. However there's one similar flower, Lily of the Valley, which you should keep away from your dog, because this plant is highly dangerous for canines, too.

Dried Fruits ( Currants, Raisins, Sultanas etc )

Grapes and their dried products (currants, sultanas and raisins) are toxic to dogs. Ingestion of even a small quantity can cause severe kidney failure. Don’t forget this will include food items that contain dried fruits such as Hot Cross Buns. Be aware that chocolate-coated raisins are available so there is the additional risk of chocolate toxicity with these.

Other dangers are Xylitol ( food additive code E967 )

Xylitol is a naturally occurring, sugar-free sweetener and is frequently found in sugar-free chewing gums and sweets, and some pharmaceuticals including nicotine replacement chewing gums. Xylitol is extremely harmful to dogs and can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and liver damage.

Alcohol, nuts, bread dough, left over food that could of gone mouldy cheese, yoghurt and bread etc.

If you suspect your dog or cat is showing signs of poisoning contact your vet immediately who will advise on the best course of action,  and when you see the vet give as much information as possible on type of chocolate ie white, milk, dark or baking chocolate and also what quantity has been consumed, also try and take any wrappers, packaging and if possible a sample etc chocolate or lily cutting that might help with getting the proper treatment and quick.

Also make sure you know how to contact your vet out of hours or have the number of the emergency vet to hand as surgery hours might be different over a bank holiday weekend.

Infographic courtesy of Animal Friends.