Blog: Holiday Pet Hazards

The weather has finally turned warm and I really want us all to get outside with our pets but I thought I would share a couple of thoughts with you all as I head to the garden. Here is a short list of potential hazards for our pets as the detritus of Easter and Passover lay strewn about, waiting for our pets to stumble upon them. Chocolate: most of us are aware that dogs are extremely sensitive to chocolate. The more serious side effects are attributed to methylxanthines, compounds including and similar to caffeine. Mild signs such as hyper excitability can be seen at doses as low as 20 mg/ kg progressing to abnormal heart beats and seizures with increasing doses. Rather nasty diarrhea can be caused by low doses of chocolate, especially if a pet has a sensitive stomach. Darker chocolates have more methylxanthines than milk chocolate but the real hidden danger here is cocoa shell mulch in our gardens. Please, keep your dog away from flower beds that have this mulch spread in them. Lilies: While we are in the garden, or smelling cut flowers in the garden, We need to be aware that all parts of the lily plant are toxic if ingested. Even small amounts of pollen, groomed off the coat can cause a cat to go into kidney failure. Please, it's OK to stop and smell the roses but leave the lilies for those without pets. Easter Grass: I can't figure out why cats eat this stuff, but next to tinsel, this is one of the more consistent foreign bodies that I have seen removed from the GI tract of cats over my career. Please, if you must put this stuff in the basket, don't let your cat near it. I have a better idea, leave it out and use extra Peeps as a filler. Finally, Raisins: it's not clear why, but many dogs have idiosyncratic reactions to raisins, they can cause kidney failure in susceptible animals. Remember, while it might be tough to eat enough to cause a problem, grapes are just raisins that haven't been dried out. So, I think it would be best to avoid these as well. Now, everyone get out there and exercise. The obesity epidemic is not just for people and limiting soda size is not the answer for us or our pets, We can talk about weight loss in future posts. Oh, and speaking of future posts I want to address dog runs in the near future so let me know where your favorite out door place to take your dog is.