Every season can have potential dangers and toxicity for our pets. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the top 4 dangers are chocolate, plastic Easter grass, plants, and pesticides/herbicides.
Here are my top dangers for Easter
1) Chocolate. This is easily MY favorite treat, but there is an ingredient, theobromine, that can be toxic to dogs, depending on their size. Theobromine is a relative of caffeine, and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, up to seizures. Dark chocolate is many time more toxic than milk chocolate, and white chocolate has no theobromine. If your pet eats chocolate, call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435) to determine if the quantity is in the dangerous range. One Hershey kiss isn’t going to kill any dog or cat, but a whole Hershey bar can. Be prepared tell the vet amount in ounces of chocolate, the type of chocolate ( dark, baking, or milk), and the weight of your pet. I had a patient many years ago that got into the Easter Candy stash not once, but twice, and had to hospitalized both times. Some dogs just really want chocolate.
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_chocolate_toxicity
2) Plastic Easter Grass. It looks edible, but it isn’t, and can cause GI obstruction
3) Easter Lilies. They are beautiful, but deadly for cats, causing kidney failure. Keep them away from cats, but they don’t seem to be toxic for dogs. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/lily
4) Xylitol. This is a common artificial sweetener, found often in sugarless gum, but there is a granulated version that some cooks use a sugar substitute. Symptoms are vomiting, seizures, low blood sugar, and liver failure.
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/endocrine/c_dg_xylitol_toxicity
5) Candy wrappers, esp foil. Like the Easter Grass, they can really mess up a gut.
6) High Fat People Food like Ham, or Brisket. High fat can cause inflammation of the pancreas, with intense vomiting and diarrhea. I would not feed a cooked pork bone to dogs.
https://www.aspca.org/news/top-four-easter-hazards-pets
