Every year around Easter we see cases of toxin ingestion and foreign body ingestion, things many people don't think about.
For cats, we have two big concerns: lilies and plastic Easter basket grass.
Lilies – The easy way to avoid this: if you own a cat, do NOT get an Easter Lily for your home or yard! These plants are highly toxic to cats and their ingestion can cause permanent kidney damage. If you think your cat has gotten into a lily, please bring him or her in RIGHT AWAY to see your veterinarian. If handled immediately, we can minimize the permanent damage to your cat’s kidneys. We hear people say “She was just sick for a couple of days, but she’s fine now.” Do not fall into this trap, those few days of symptoms mean that a cat’s kidneys have lost function that can never be regained.
Plastic Easter Basket Grass – Cats LOVE to play with and eat the plastic grass commonly used in the bottom of an Easter basket. If ingested, these long pieces of plastic may become stuck and obstruct your cat’s stomach and intestines which requires surgery to remove. The best way to help your cat, and the environment, is avoid using any grass (natural, plastic, edible or otherwise) in your Easter baskets.
Our main Easter concern for dogs is chocolate or Xylitol ingestion. Chocolate is something that people generally associate as being “poisonous” to dogs, yet we see chocolate toxicity every year. What many people don’t think about is that other Easter candies and gum can contain an artificial sweetener called Xylitol that is dangerous for your dog. Even if your dog doesn’t eat chocolate or Xylitol candies, the excess sugar in regular candy can cause intestinal upset – including vomiting or diarrhea. If you suspect your dog has ANY Easter candy, please bring him or her in right away – delay can mean permanent organ damage in the case of Xylitol or chocolate toxicity. The best thing you can do for your dog is keep all candies in locked cabinets high out of reach.
For cats, we have two big concerns: lilies and plastic Easter basket grass.
Lilies – The easy way to avoid this: if you own a cat, do NOT get an Easter Lily for your home or yard! These plants are highly toxic to cats and their ingestion can cause permanent kidney damage. If you think your cat has gotten into a lily, please bring him or her in RIGHT AWAY to see your veterinarian. If handled immediately, we can minimize the permanent damage to your cat’s kidneys. We hear people say “She was just sick for a couple of days, but she’s fine now.” Do not fall into this trap, those few days of symptoms mean that a cat’s kidneys have lost function that can never be regained.
Plastic Easter Basket Grass – Cats LOVE to play with and eat the plastic grass commonly used in the bottom of an Easter basket. If ingested, these long pieces of plastic may become stuck and obstruct your cat’s stomach and intestines which requires surgery to remove. The best way to help your cat, and the environment, is avoid using any grass (natural, plastic, edible or otherwise) in your Easter baskets.
Our main Easter concern for dogs is chocolate or Xylitol ingestion. Chocolate is something that people generally associate as being “poisonous” to dogs, yet we see chocolate toxicity every year. What many people don’t think about is that other Easter candies and gum can contain an artificial sweetener called Xylitol that is dangerous for your dog. Even if your dog doesn’t eat chocolate or Xylitol candies, the excess sugar in regular candy can cause intestinal upset – including vomiting or diarrhea. If you suspect your dog has ANY Easter candy, please bring him or her in right away – delay can mean permanent organ damage in the case of Xylitol or chocolate toxicity. The best thing you can do for your dog is keep all candies in locked cabinets high out of reach.