Spring toxins to watch out for to keep your pets safe

The days are lighter, the weather is warmer, and we are beginning to see signs of new life all around us, it's a great time of year!

Spring toxins to watch out for at this time of year:

1. Spring bulbs  

Lots are poisonous to dogs, cats, rabbits and horses, including daffodils, tulips and bluebells. Eating the bulbs, flowers or leaves can make your animal unwell, with symptoms from fitting or heart and blood pressure problems, to vomiting and diarrhoea. As horses and rabbits are unable to vomit it takes longer for their bodies to emit the toxin, increasing the danger.   

 2. Herbicides & fungicides – plant and fungal-killing chemicals 

Examples of these are weed killer and mildew control. Obviously, all chemicals should be shut away out of reach of inquisitive animals, but pet poisoning can occur from as little contact as brushing up against a treated plant, or nibbling it. The results can vary from vomiting to liver failure – it might be better for everyone to explore non-toxic means of control. 

3. Rodenticides – rat or mouse killers

If you find you have a rodent problem and you have pets, never use rodenticides. They are as attractive to your cat or dog as they are to the rodents they are designed to kill, and that’s why they account for so much of the pet poisoning seen by vets every year. 

Symptoms such as weakness, lethargy, lameness or bruising are typical, as well as vomiting, excitability, changes in body temperature and fitting. Even if you haven’t used this poison yourself but your pet is displaying symptoms, it could be that they have eaten poison elsewhere - for example, a poisoned mouse – so always seek veterinary advice immediately. 

 4. Antihistamines

The blossom is starting to come out, and for many of us that means hay fever is kicking in. Always be very careful not to leave antihistamines lying around as they can prove highly toxic to pets. Symptoms to look out for include agitation, lethargy, vomiting, aggression and seizures, and they could prove fatal. 

5. Lilies

Beautiful they may be, but they are also highly dangerous, to cats especially and, for some, even being in the same room as lilies can be enough to cause a toxic reaction. If there’s even a chance that your cat has come into contact with lilies in a vase or as a plant, seek veterinary advice immediately as any delay could result in kidney failure or even death. 

6. Grass cuttings

Don’t be tempted to give your rabbit a handful of mown grass cuttings, they can make your rabbit very ill. Heat from the lawnmower triggers decomposition of the grass, leading to bacterial fermentation. Rabbits are unable to vomit so, even if their bodies want to eject it, the food has a long journey before making its way out the other end. Meanwhile, the fermentation process continues, causing the production of gases inside the rabbit’s tummy resulting in painful bloating and diarrhoea. 

This is the same for horses. They too are unable to vomit. Fermentation of grazed grass naturally occurs further down the digestive tract in horses, but if they consume grass cuttings, fermentation will have already begun and may continue in the stomach, which cannot deal with it. This can lead to colic or even rupture of the stomach, with potentially fatal consequences.   

As the grass cuttings will already be chopped up, the horse will be able to eat it more quickly, especially if it likes bolting its feed. The cuttings can then form a clump, causing choke in the horse, which is an obstruction of the horse’s oesophagus.   

Any sudden change to the content or volume of a horse’s diet can lead to colic, or laminitis, an extremely painful inflammation in the hooves.  Please, please, never put grass cuttings in a horse’s reach. 

7. Spring flowering plants poisonous to rabbits

The list is long. Most bulb-grown flowers are toxic, as well as many other plants, including azaleas, buttercups, delphiniums, foxgloves, hellebores, primroses, rhododendrons and rhubarb…and neither rabbits nor horses are very discerning. Depending on the plant, symptoms can appear within a couple of hours, or organs can be affected after a period of toxic build-up, by which time it may be too late to do anything.  

Therefore, it’s important to keep grazing animals away from these dangers. Make sure you fence off any areas where your horse or rabbit could graze on anything other than grass, or plants you know to be safe. 

Easter toxins to be aware of

As with all times of celebration, there are more hazards than usual for your pets at Easter time. Chocolate is a favourite Easter treat and many families will have far more chocolate in the house than usual.

Easter eggs and other chocolate treats look enticing but can pose a real danger. Chocolate can be highly toxic for your pets so needs to be kept out of their reach. Dogs especially, will consume enormous amounts of chocolate if given the chance. This can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, and in extreme circumstances heart problems and seizures. The darker the chocolate, the greater the risk.

The second hazard posed by chocolates and Easter eggs is the packaging. Dogs will often consume the chocolate with the wrappers still on, and some cats are enticed by the sparkly wrapper and try to eat it. The box and the wrappers if consumed can lodge in throats or the digestive tract causing a blockage that may require surgery to remove it.

Grapes can prove extremely toxic; and many of our favourite Easter foods such as hot cross buns or fruit cakes contain dried versions such as raisins, sultanas, and currants. Just one of these tasty fruits can prove fatal to your pet by causing kidney failure. And it’s not just sweet treats that are the culprits these dried fruits can also be found lurking in sauces, stuffing, pickles, and preserves.

Rabbits are delicate creatures and the tiniest amount of chocolate, bread, avocado or potato will cause severe illness. Any ingestion of these foods should be treated as an emergency.

Perhaps less well known are the toxic properties of sugar-free sweets. These are good for our human waistlines but often contain Xylitol which has been found to be toxic to both cats and dogs. Even a small amount can affect your pet’s insulin level causing low blood sugar and this can lead to your pet falling into a coma