3 Important Tips For A Dog Friendly Easter
Easter is a wonderful time of year, the days are getting warmer and everything seems brighter - and there's lots of chocolate! However, with lots of temptation for our pets, it's also a time to be extra careful. We've produced a list of tips that every dog owner needs to know before entering the Easter season.
1. Beware of bulbs
One of the best parts of Easter is starting to see daffodils bloom and a sea of colour growing in gardens and parks. Although their colour may brighten up a room, care should be taken if you own a dog. Daffodil bulbs, along with tulip, hyacinth, amaryllis and narcissus bulbs, can cause nasty reactions if eaten and can even be fatal in some cases. Make sure to not leave bulbs unplanted in the garden as a dog's natural curiosity means they will attracted to the scent and investigate. Particularly mischievous dogs may dig up the bulbs, so be careful, we recommend in this case to cover the area with a mesh or plant less harmful plants. The rest of the daffodil (stem, leaves and flower) are less toxic, but still not good for our pets, so keep an eye on any cut flowers in the house.
2. The dangers of dogs and chocolate
Can dogs eat chocolate? Easter is a time where chocolate is plentiful, there are Easter eggs big and small all around the house and although this may be delicious for humans, it can be dangerous for our pets. Chocolate is toxic to all common household pets, although it is most commonly reported among dogs as they are naturally curious and want to eat most things us humans do! Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which our pets cannot process like us humans do, this leads to sickness, diarrhoea and in severe cases death.
One way to keep your dog safe this Easter is simply to keep chocolate out of reach from their curious noses and paws. You can do this by keeping your Easter eggs up on a shelf or in a pet-proof container. Another issue at Easter that many people overlook is the danger of an Easter egg hunt with dogs in the family. Remember if you are hosting an Easter egg hunt with real chocolate eggs, do not let your dog into the garden to roam free. They are guaranteed to find your eggs quickly - no matter how well hidden they are!
3. Can dogs eat hot cross buns?
Along with Easter eggs, hot cross buns are are an Easter staple, but not a lot of people know that the raisins in them can be deadly to dogs. Grapes, and all their dried forms including raisins, sultanas and currants, can cause kidney failure in our pets. Unfortunately, there is no specified amount that is deemed 'toxic' for dogs, some dogs are known to have gone into kidney failure from a single grape. If you think your dog may have eaten grapes, or anything with raisins (think about breakfast bars and fruit loaf, as well as hot cross buns!) always call your local vet for advice.
Making sure that the whole family is informed on the dangers of plant bulbs, chocolate AND hot cross buns, is one simple way to make this Easter dog friendly!
