Easter is almost here and while you’re preparing for the annual egg hunt and other rituals, you may want to make a note of a vet’s advice on how to keep your pet safe during the festival.
Delicious Easter treats that humans consume or decorations that are used during the festival are highly toxic for your pets and can prove fatal in some instances. However, Dr. Paola Cuevas, a qualified veterinarian with over two decades of experience told The Focus how to celebrate a pet-friendly Easter this year.
Ensure your pets are safe during Easter celebrations
Dr. Paola Cuevas says pet parents need to be especially careful with egg hunts as your furry friend may end up eating chocolate or other sweet treats that can become a health hazard.
“Chocolate contains two different substances: theobromine and caffeine which can cause digestive issues and neurological signs that range from agitation to increased heart rate, muscle tremors, and even seizures,” the vet told The Focus.
Although white chocolate has no theobromine, which is found in high quantity in dark chocolate, the sugar and fat in any kind of chocolate may “lead to digestive issues and increase the risk of pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis) due to dietary indiscretion.”
Dr. Paola Cuevas says cats cannot taste sweets, so it’s less likely for them to indulge in sweet treats unlike your pet canine, who can find hidden eggs more easily with their enhanced sense of smell.
You need to be mindful of the candies around your pet dog as they can represent a choking hazard and could potentially cause gastrointestinal issues such as vomit or diarrhea.
“If the chocolates or candies are sugar-free, there is a risk they contain Xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is very toxic to dogs. Xylitol will cause dangerously low blood glucose levels which might cause the dog a hypoglycemic shock and/or liver damage,” the vet told The Focus.
Even hot cross buns are not safe for your pet canine as they include raisins, sultanas, and currants – also toxic for dogs. “These are very dangerous because as little as 4 raisins or sultanas can result in the death of an 18-pound dog,” the vet warns.
How to make it animal-friendly
You can still have a safe and pet-friendly Easter celebration by following a few tips shared by Dr. Paola Cuevas and one of them is to make sure your canine friend is not off-leash during the celebrations.
“You never know if a neighbor or some visitors are organizing an egg hunt and controlling what they use is impossible. Also, because many people are not aware of the risks, they might succumb to your dog when he looks at them with ‘those eyes’ and unintendedly hurt them,” she said.
Furthermore, the vet shared some really interesting DIY dog-safe replacements for the celebration season.
- Replace chocolate with carob-based treats.
- Hiding plain boiled and peeled eggs (hen or quail).
- Stuffing plastic eggs with dog treats can also work as long as dogs are on a leash and there is a human to safely open the eggs for them. Such eggs should have holes to allow the treats to fall out. But you definitively want to prevent dogs from ingesting the plastic.
- An even better idea would be to replace the eggs with stuffed Kong toys instead.
Your pet may still end up treating itself to snacks or toys that aren’t entirely safe, despite you keeping a close watch. “If you notice something unusual or plain wrong in their behavior inform your veterinarian as soon as possible, and they will advise you according to the specifics of the case,” the vet said.
We would like to thank Dr. Paola Cuevas, a veterinary consultant at Hepper, for her valuable input that helped us create this story.
