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Easter is just around the corner, and for those who celebrate it, it's a wonderful time to spend with family and friends.
If you have a dog as a key family member, you'll want to include them in your Easter celebrations. However, as with many other family holidays, Easter brings with it dog safety concerns that could make the holiday hazardous for your four-legged friend. From chocolate toxicity to other food nasties, Easter has the potential to be a hazardous time for your dog.
At Groomers Online, we understand how important it is to include your dog in all of the Easter celebrations and in this blog, we share practical tips on keeping your dog safe and happy during the Easter festivities. Prepare to dog-proof your celebrations to make Easter a safe and happy time for all the family!
Table of contents:
Easter dangers for dogs: What to watch out for
Keeping your dog safe this Easter
Dog-friendly ways to include your dog in your Easter activities
Easter dangers for dogs: What to watch out for
Dogs and Easter eggs: Beware of chocolate toxicity
Easter wouldn't be Easter without chocolate eggs and Easter egg hunts, but these sweet treats can be incredibly toxic for your dog. Due to the increased amount of chocolate in the home, chocolate poisoning is common in dogs, particularly at Easter time.
Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical which can be poisonous to dogs and other animals such as cats, rodents and rabbits. Theobromine is a major cardiac stimulant and diuretic for dogs, and even a small amount can be fatal. The darker and richer the chocolate, the more toxic it is for your dog. If your dog eats any type of chocolate, it's important to act fast and contact a vet immediately.
For a safe Easter for your dog, keep chocolate well out of reach, don't leave any unattended and ensure that guests, particularly small children, understand not to feed chocolate of any kind to your dog.
Help! My dog ate chocolate, how long before symptoms show?
If your dog has eaten chocolate, you may not see any symptoms for several hours. However, chocolate poison could be fatal within 24 hours, so it's important to act fast.
If you suspect that your dog has eaten any kind of chocolate made for human consumption, or you notice symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, or seizures, don't delay. Contact an emergency vet, or for further advice, contact Animal PoisonLine.
Easter decorations, eggs and wrappers
Easter egg hunts and decorations are all a big part of the Easter fun. If your dog is a scavenger or a chewer, these decorations may be tempting for them - so if you involve them in the Easter egg hunt, ensure they are always supervised.
If ingested, Easter egg wrappers and decorations, including small eggs, chicks, ribbons and wrappers, can cause your dog to choke or even have blockages in their intestines if swallowed, so keep your dog safe and keep Easter decorations out of their reach.
Contact your vet if you think your dog has chewed or swallowed a decoration and is showing signs of discomfort.
Plants and spring bulbs
With the arrival of spring, our homes and gardens are filled with spring flowers! Spring flowers are common Easter gifts, but did you know that these beautiful blooms, when eaten, could be toxic for your dog?
Bluebells, daffodils, irises, hyacinths, lilies and tulips can all cause stomach upsets if consumed by your dog. So, if your dog can't be trusted around plants, keep them away from your spring blossoms.
Here are some common symptoms to watch out for and potential signs you should contact your vet:
- Daffodils: can cause stomach upsets and vomiting or salivation. Your dog may also seem sleepy, be unsteady on its legs or could potentially collapse. In extreme cases, dogs can fit, or you may notice their heart rate alter, and their body temperature and blood pressure could increase.
- Spring Crocuses: Although they only cause mild toxicity, they can cause mild stomach upsets if eaten.
- Tulips: Common symptoms from ingesting tulips are irritation to the mouth and intestinal tract, excessive drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea, but in serious cases, although rare, heart problems and breathing difficulties can occur.
Hot cross buns and Simnel cake
Hot cross buns, Simnel cake and other sweet Easter treats containing raisins and sultanas are a real no-no for your dog! Raisins, sultanas, currants and grapes are all incredibly toxic to dogs, even in small quantities. If you suspect your dog has consumed anything containing any of these harmful toxins, you must contact your vet immediately.
Keeping your dog safe this Easter
Now that you're aware of the potential Easter dangers for dogs, here are our top tips on keeping them safe:
- Although the number of unsafe sweet treats increases in the home this time of year, they won't cause serious issues for your dog if kept out of reach. Clear countertops to prevent counter surfing, ensure bins are secured to prevent scavenging, and if your kids are taking part in an Easter egg hunt, ensure your dog is kept on a lead and supervised at all times.
- If your spring flowers have sprouted and your dog can't resist chewing the plants, don't leave them in the garden unsupervised. Also, if they like to dig, don't leave them alone to dig up and eat potentially poisonous bulbs.
- Keep a stash of dog-friendly treats close by so you can treat your dog for being good during the Easter celebrations without giving them potentially harmful snacks.
Dog-friendly ways to include your dog in your Easter activities
So, you know exactly what not to give your dog this Easter, but how can you still include them in the celebrations? The good news is that there are a lot of safe ways to include your dog in your plans this Easter, so whether you're a fan of baking dog-friendly treats or you just want to take your dog for a long Easter walk in the spring sunshine, here are some alternative ways your dog can join in with the fun!
Give them their own Easter hunt
Hiding dog-friendly Easter eggs or their favourite treats around the garden is a good way to get your dog involved in the action, and it's a great way to get the kids involved! Encourage them to hide your dog's favourite toys and reward them when they sniff them out. Hunting for treats appeals to your dog's instincts and helps to stimulate their brains, keeping them happy and relaxed!
If you're feeding your dog extra treats, reduce their daily food by 10% to account for this and prevent overfeeding.
Plan an Easter walk for the whole family
The Easter bank holidays provide extra time to encourage the family to head out for an extended dog walk. Whether you head off on one of your dog's favourite routes or take them somewhere new to explore new sights and smells, they'll love participating in an activity with the whole family.
Homemade Easter dog treats
If you want to give your dog a special treat this Easter, why not whip up some dog-friendly biscuits in the kitchen? Many recipes featuring dog-friendly ingredients such as pumpkin and sweet potato are easy to put together and will make your dog feel like they're getting something special this Easter.
Or, if you want to feed them some human treats that are safe, why not give them some of the following (just remember to treat them in moderation and reduce their meals to compensate!):
- Vegetables: Cauliflower, cucumber, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas
- Fruit: Apples (remove the core), strawberries, pumpkins, bananas (with the skin removed)
- Meat: Plain chicken and fish (cooked with the bones removed)
- Other: Boiled eggs (chopped with the shell removed), cheddar cheese cubes (in moderation).
Get your dog spring ready at Groomers!
Get your dog ready for Easter in style with our spring grooming products at Groomers, including our Spring Bouquet Shampoo, to keep them smelling fresh and clean! Or, if you want to be prepared for every eventuality, shop our Health and Wellbeing collection and find first aid products in the event of an accident and stress management products to help keep your dog relaxed and calm when guests arrive.
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