Easter Pet Dangers

Today is Good Friday and many people are getting ready to celebrate the Easter festivities.

However, even though Easter is certainly a time of celebration of rebirth for some Christians, their pets may not be able to be resurrected if they have consumed one of the five most deadly pet dangers of Easter:

Easter Lilies

Although the Easter Lilly is one of the most common plants used to celebrate the arrival of Easter, it is the most lethal of plants to cats. Even simply ingesting a few of its leaves can result in grave, acute renal and kidney failure which may lead to your cat's untimely death.

However, it is not just the Easter Lilly that is harmful to cats - all plant members of the Lilly family are potentially lethal.

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC explains:

"This is your friendly reminder to keep those darned Easter lilies OUT OF YOUR HOUSE! There are dangerous and benign lilies out there, and it's important to know the difference. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies contain oxalate crystals that cause minor signs, such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus - this results in minor drooling."

Call your veterinarian of the Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680.

Foil or Plastic Easter Grass

Easter grass is the second most commonly found dangerous element of Easter to pets, especially cats. This is because the brightly colored foil makes an extremely attractive cat toy.

Similar to tinsel used during Christmas time, this plastic and foil grass can lead to intestinal distress in cats that requires immediate veterinary care.

Because it is hard to monitor, opt instead to use paper grass, or better yet, cat grass.

Chocolate Bunnies

It's not Easter without those yummy chocolate bunnies! Just be careful that young children do not inadvertently feed one to your cat or dog. Make sure that none of these chocolate bunnies, or other chocolate treats, are out of the reach of inquisitive pet noses. Chocolate can be extremely lethal to both dogs and cats and will also require immediate veterinary attention.

Easter Eggs

Brightly colored hard-boiled eggs can be a child's delight and their pets too. However, day old eggs that have not been properly handled or refrigerated can spoil on the inside, making them lethal to pets.

When hiding these Easter eggs around your house or yard, be sure to keep count of them and make sure that they are all found. Another good tip is to remind children to throw away the eggs in the garbage when they are done eating them.

Baby Animals

Whilst it may seem tempting, purchasing a baby chick, baby bunny, or a baby duckling, may not be such a great idea. Most of these baby animals can carry Salmonella which can then be passed on to your children and other pets.

If you really do want to purchase one of these baby animals for your child as a gift, it is best if you wait until after Easter and then take your child to visit your local animal shelter or humane society. Here you will most undoubtedly find a large selection of baby bunnies, baby ducklings and baby chicks that have been abandoned over the Easter weekend.

The best part is that not only will you teach your child about the significance of Easter, but you would also have taught them the value of pet adoption – which is the ultimate example of Easter rebirth.

House Guests

Since Easter is time best spent with family, take a few extra precautions to ensure the safety and comfort of your pets when guests come to visit. Make sure your pets have their own room or space in which they can retreat to when they become overwhelmed. Remind any visiting children to not feed Easter eggs or chocolates to your pets.

Photo Credit: i eated a cookie