How to keep your pets safe this Easter

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – While Easter is a time for festivities, fun, Easter egg hunts, and brunches, it can take a turn for the worst for your pets.

According to the Westbrook Veterinary Hospital, Easter can pose a high risk to our pets due to the candy, flowers, and meals that are associated with the holiday.

Here are a few safety tips that you can follow to keep your pet safe on Easter.

Chocolate

All types of chocolate are potentially life-threatening if pets eat some. Chocolate contains methylxanthines, which are caffeine-like stimulants that affect gastrointestinal, neurologic, and cardiac function, and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures, and an abnormally elevated heart rate. The high-fat content that is in lighter chocolates can potentially lead to inflammation of the pancreas. Chocolate bunnies are a staple when it comes to Easter, so if you received chocolate this Easter, make sure you keep it out of your pet’s reach.

Fatty Foods

It’s tempting to share your Easter brunch or dinner with your pet, but high-fat foods like ham can cause severe GI distress. Eating turkey or turkey skin can cause a life-threatening condition in pets known as pancreatitis, so it is important to keep your feast on the table.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sweetener that is found in gum, candy, and peanut butter and is highly toxic to our pets. If this sweetener is eaten, it can cause hypoglycemia, which is a sudden drop in blood sugar. This can cause your pet to suffer depression, loss of coordination, and seizures.

Bread Dough

Raw, uncooked yeast ferments the carbohydrates in the dough, which produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process can continue in the stomach if eaten, which leads your pet to become disoriented, bloated, and ataxic. Alcohol poisoning can be as deadly for pets as it is for humans.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns is also another food that is associated with Easter and contains raisins or currants, which are both toxic to pets. If ingested, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases, kidney failure.

Basket Filler

Typically in Easter baskets, filler is placed inside to help support the items in the basket and to make it more festive, but if your pet ingests some, it can cause choking hazards and even intestinal blockage.

Lilies

If you are sending a floral arrangement for someone with a cat, specify that it contains no lilies, and if you are receiving an arrangement, sift through and remove all dangerous ones. If your pet has lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea, they might have ingested a flower or plant that is not good for them. Lilies also harbor a fungus that makes dogs extremely sick.