Tips for a pet friendly Easter

This is a wonderful time of year for all the family. The children are off school, the weather is starting to warm up and there is loads of yummy chocolate about! To keep it a Happy Easter for the furry members of your family there are some things you should be aware of

Keep pets away from chocolate

Chocolate is toxic to dogs, even a small amount could be enough to kill. Plain chocolate and cocoa powder are the most dangerous and can cause seizures, liver damage and death.

Agria’s Senior Veterinary Advisor, Robin Hargreaves, says, “Chocolate can be very toxic to dogs. It varies how toxic, but the better quality the chocolate, the more toxic it is. Quite simply, if your dog has any chocolate at all, do not take a risk - you’ve got to take it very seriously.”

Don’t wait for symptoms of chocolate poisoning to appear before contacting your vet - it can take up to 24 hours. But if you spot your dog with any of the following and suspect they may have eaten some chocolate,

Diarrhoea
Vomiting
Drinking more than normal
Peeing more than usual
Being unusually excited and restless
Stomach pain

After these initial symptoms, your dog may then:

Start panting or breathing rapidly
Shake or tremble
Have a high temperature (fever)
Experience a seizure
Have an increased heartbeat
Suffer heart failure, coma and even death

Always take chocolate poisoning seriously and always seek immediate veterinary advice.

As an Agria customer, if you suspect your dog has ingested any chocolate at all then use the Agria app for free advice. They can help you work out if your dog has had a toxic dose of chocolate. If your pet ingests any part of a daffodil, a bluebell or ivy then get in contact with your vet as these also can be toxic.

Keep pets away from lillies

Lilies are poisonous to cats. For some cats, even just being in the same room as a lily could be enough to cause a toxic reaction. The signs can range from vomiting and lethargy to drinking lots of water but not passing much urine. If there is a chance your cat has come into contact with this, as a flower in a vase or as a plant, then get in contact with your vet as soon as you can, any delay in seeking veterinary attention could result in kidney failure and even death. More Spring time dangers are slug pellets, insecticides and anti-histamines, these can all be toxic to cats and can cause a very severe reaction.

Other dangers to be aware of

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.

All of this sounds quite depressing but just make sure you keep the Easter Eggs and Spring time bouquets out of reach and everyone will have a Happy Easter!