Happy Easter! Do you plan to celebrate with your animal family as well as your human family?If yes, please read these scenarios and learn about Easter pet dangers!
1. Midnight, your cat, is eating the Easter lily bouquet on the dining room table. 
The Problem: Easter Lilies are extremely toxic to cats! Whether Midnight sniffs or eats an Easter lily, he could end up with permanent kidney damage within 18 hours. Do NOT bring home any plants (especially lilies!) unless you know they are pet-friendly. Check with the ASPCA Plant Guide.
2. Fido, your dog, discovers a plastic Easter egg full of foil-wrapped chocolates and jelly beans in the backyard. He breaks open the egg and eats the candy.
The Problem: Chocolates, foil wrappers, jelly beans, and plastic eggs are all dangerous. Here’s why:
- Chocolates: The darker the chocolate, the more poisonous it is. Also, chocolate can cause pancreatitis due to the high amounts of sugar and fat.
- Wrappers: Most pets don’t remove wrappers. Wrappers can cause damage to the throat and digestive tract.
- Candy: Again, the high amount of sugar and fat in candy can cause pancreatitis. Even if you’re using sugar-free candy, it still isn’t safe. A lot of sugar-free candy contains Xylitol, which is toxic to pets.
- Plastic Eggs: Plastic eggs can cause digestive issues as well as throat irritation when swallowed. Broken pieces of a plastic egg can scratch your pet’s paws or the inside of the mouth.
3. While dinner is being prepared, raw bread dough is left sitting out on the counter. Fido jumps up and eats it all.
The Problem: If your pet eats uncooked bread dough, the live yeast will expand in your pet’s warm, moist stomach. This causes your pet’s stomach to expand too.
4. Fido is going from family member to family member, begging for scraps. Little Johnny starts throwing slices of the roast underneath the table. Fido eats every piece.
The Problem: A pork roast can upset your pet’s stomach due to the high amount of fat it contains. Ham is no better, since ham contains enough salt content to cause neurologic issues for pets who eat a large portion.
5. While everyone is eating dinner, Midnight is playing with the fake green grass in the Easter baskets. He eats a few strands.
The Problem: The fake grass can become tangled in Midnight’s stomach and intestines. This can cause internal damage.
Fido and Midnight would not be in good condition if they actually ate all of these items. Most of these scenarios require either immediate surgery or lengthy hospitalization in order to save your pet. We hope your pet stays safe this weekend, but if you do have a pet emergency and your veterinarian is unavailable, both our Oakdale and Saint Paul locations are open 24/7, every day of the year-including all holidays! Have a safe and happy Easter!
