Easter’s on its way! Hopefully it’ll bring some real spring weather as well. No matter how you choose to celebrate Easter, with the season comes a variety of hazards for your pet.
As mentioned in a previous blog, lilies, tulips and other plants are toxic to pets. Keep all flowers out of reach of pets. Remember, cats can and will jump to high places to reach an object of interest. Watch also for pets digging in the yard as flower bulbs are toxic too. Ingesting poisonous plants can cause vomiting, hypersalivation, diarrhea, inappetence, lethargy, organ failure and death.
Everybody loves cute Easter decorations, but keep them out of your pet’s reach. Especially popular this time of year is Easter grass. It’s great for decoration and to put in Easter baskets. Unfortunately cats love Easter grass as well! Ingesting Easter grass may cause vomiting and it could also get stuck in the stomach or intestines, blocking things from moving through. Symptoms of blockages include vomiting, diarrhea or no stool, inappetence and lethargy. Blockages become a surgical emergency, as waiting can cause permanent damage to internal organs or the death of the pet. Instead of filling Easter baskets the night before, fill them early in the morning, or hide the baskets where pets cannot find them. Or try using colorful shredded paper or crinkly paper found in craft stores instead of Easter grass.
Chocolate is popular at almost every holiday. With it comes the warning that chocolate and other candy is not good for dogs and cats. Keep it well out of their reach.
Holidays are always a good excuse to have family and friends over for a large feast, and Easter is no exception. Common at Easter is ham, among other food items. Warn guests not to feed your pet! Allow pets to hang out in a separate room with their own special treat (kong or special pet friendly snack) to avoid being slipped table food or eating food dropped on the ground. Do NOT give your pets bones! Bones from chicken, ham, turkey, etc can become stuck and cause a blockage. Or some bones will splinter and can lacerate the esophagus, stomach or intestines.
When pets ingest candy or table food, they can become very ill with pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas. When pets become ill with pancreatitis, they usually require hospitalization with IV fluids and medications. Caught quickly and treated early, pets usually recover well. However, left untreated, it can be fatal. Avoid this dangerous condition by not allowing your pets to eat people food or candy.
Enjoy this Easter holiday by taking precautions to keep your pets safe and out of the veterinary emergency clinic!
Also see last year’s blog, Live Bunnies at Easter http://www.suburbananimalclinic.com/live-bunnies-at-easter. It may be cute to surprise your child with a cuddly baby bunny or a cute fuzzy chick on Easter, but bunnies grow into rabbits and chicks grow into chickens. Before you buy that adorable little baby, be sure you’re ready for the long-term commitment.