Easter Time is here! How to have fun and what to be aware of

The Easter holidays are upon us, wow how did that happen? Most of us are having to stay at home so we need to be aware of the additional dangers to our dogs while we are enjoying ourselves munching through our easter eggs.

Dangerous foods

Easter Eggs and Chocolate

Chocolate contains lots of fat, sugars and caffeine none of which are good for dogs. But the poisonous ingredient is theobromine, even a small amount can cause sickness, diarrhoea, muscle stiffness, tremors, heart arrhythmias, fitting and can be fatal. It can take between 4-24 hours to notice these signs. The darker the chocolate the more theobromine is present.

If your dog has eaten some chocolate you might find this Chocolate toxicity calculator helpful. But always if in doubt contact your vet.

Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas

These are all dangerous to dogs so keep away in all forms both cooked and raw. They cause kidney failure in dogs. No hot cross buns for those appealing eyes.

Alcohol

Keep alcohol and alcohol products away from your dog, these can causes sickness, diarrhoea, central nervous damage, liver and brain damage.

Xylitol (artificial sweetener)

Xylitol is a common sweetener that is toxic to dogs, so check the list of ingredients carefully and keep all products out of your dogs reach. It may surprise you to know that it can be found in toothpaste! If your dog eats sweets or any other product with xylitol in it it may cause sickness, lethargy, lack of coordination and seizures.

If you suspect your dog has eaten something toxic, don’t hesitate to contact your vet. If possible try to work out how much they have eaten to provide your vet with as much information as you can.

Caution Flowers

Daffodils are poisonous to dogs! Dogs can suffer from sickness,

lethargy and even fits if they eat the bulb, flower. Even if you have a bunch of daffs in a vase don’t let your dog drink the vase water.

Tulips are poisonous to dogs! They can irritate your dog’s mouth and their gastrointestinal tract. If eaten tulips can cause drooling, sickness & diarrhoea. More serious symptoms include difficulty breathing and heart problems.

Fun activites with your dog at Easter

Easter Carrot Hunt

Why not try an adaptation of the traditional Easter Egg Hunt, try using carrots, or dog biscuits, but not too many as your dogs need to watch their waistlines just like we do. Hide your chosen dog friendly treats in the garden (remember to write down where they are) and then take your dog into the garden and let them loose to go find them. Super doggy fun!

Liver cake treats

Make your own dog treats. There are lots of dog friendly recipes on the internet and you could cut them into easter shapes, your dog will love you for it!

Here’s a nice easy recipe to get you started from the Hearing Dogs website.