With Easter just around the corner, it’s always good to remind ourselves of the dangers posed to our pets from chocolate, plastic Easter grass and especially Easter Lilly’s. Dogs, cats too, have a nose for finding and devouring our special chocolate Easter bunny or stash of chocolate candies. The danger of chocolate depends on how much your pet ingested, and what type of chocolate it was.

Dark chocolate has the highest toxicity rate, while white chocolate has the least. Signs to look for are vomiting, diarrhea and trembling. However, you should not wait to watch for these signs, call your veterinarian immediately if your pet ingests any type of chocolate.

Shiny, string like Easter grass often attracts curious cats who like to ingest it as it is simply irresistible. Any type of string like decoration should be avoided if you have feline pets as they cause serious internal damage once ingested and often require an exploratory type surgery for removal. Signs to watch for include, vomiting, straining to defecate, refusal to eat food, and painful stomach. If you believe your cat ingested Easter grass, call your veterinary immediately.

Easter Lilly is a common way to decorate this time of year. However, this plant is highly toxic to cats if ingested. Signs to watch for include vomiting and lethargy, if not properly treated they can result in kidney failure. Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your cat ingested any type of lily plant.

On a final note, over the Easter holiday, we see increased visits from concerned pet owners who purchased a bunny for their child and it has either been hurt or is not receiving proper care. Rabbits are very sensitive animals and often do not make good pets for young children. We recommend calling us here at Everhart to discuss all that goes in to caring for a bunny, to see if this new pet would be a good addition to your family.