With Easter so close, this seems like a good time to think about what that means for our pets. After all, we animal people like to include our furry friends in our activities. But this is one time when maybe that might not be such a good idea.
For one thing, the tasty Easter candy we all enjoy can be harmful, even deadly, for our four-legged buddies. The biggest threat comes from chocolate, which contains theobromine and caffeine. The caffeine can cause a pet’s heart to race, but the theobromine can be toxic, and cause upset stomach, diarrhea, seizures, even death. The high fat content in chocolate may result in pancreatitis which can be life-threatening. One small piece of chocolate may not kill a pet but it could make it sick; and the darker the chocolate the greater the danger. The safest approach is to keep ALL chocolate away from your pet.
Easter treats sweetened with the artificial sweetener Xylitol are another danger. Xylitol is toxic to pets, especially to dogs. In fact, Xylitol is one hundred times more toxic than chocolate. It can cause the dog’s body to release a rush of insulin causing hypoglycemia, making the dog weak, nauseous and possibly have seizures. It can result in liver damage, and in large enough amounts it could lead to liver failure, which could kill your canine buddy. Treating your pet to some candy may be a disastrous mistake.
Other dangers to our furry friends might be in our Easter decorations, including the plastic grass and other fillers in the Easter basket. Even potted plants or cut flowers like Easter lilies or Daylilies can cause problems. The blooms, pollen, leaves, and even the water in the vase or container can be harmful, even deadly, especially for cats.
Easter traditions can be a lot of fun, but take care to keep your furry friend safe, so you can celebrate all the holidays together, when you’re speaking of pets.
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