The holidays can be such a special time of year. What makes them even more special is sharing it with your family pet! Everyone loves having the dog included in the holiday activities. But sometimes those adventures can cause harm to our beloved dogs. Check out all of these Easter safety tips and keep your dog safe!
Easter Egg or Basket Hunt
Waking up on Easter as a kid was so much fun! Finding a trail of Easter eggs leading to an Easter basket full of goodies! This activity is absolutely wonderful for the kiddos, but not so much for the doggos.
Easter Eggs
Plastic Easter eggs are extremely dangerous if your dog got a hold of one and chewed it up. The pieces are not digestible and can cause damage to a dog’s insides if consumed. Plus, whatever is on the inside may not be safe for your dog either!
Then there is the Easter basket itself! Full of chocolate, candies, and much more. Most of those things are extremely toxic to dogs!
Put The Dog Away
When it is time for your family to be doing the Easter egg or basket hunt, put your dog away. They won’t feel left out if they are put away while the family hunts for their goodies. This way the potentially toxic items are safely out of reach.
Once everything is done, put away the Easter eggs and basket. Place them somewhere that your dog cannot get to them. Up high or locked away. You wouldn’t want a mischievous dog getting into anything when you aren’t looking.
After the fact, you can always prepare an Easter basket filled with dog friendly goodies for them to find and enjoy!
Toxic To Dogs
There are many items that appear around Easter time that are extremely toxic to dogs. If you believe your dog got into anything toxic, call your Veterinarian or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Chocolate
Chocolate, if ingested by your dog, can cause seizures and hyperactivity. It can also increase their heart rate to above normal.
Basket Grass
Everyone loves a well decorated Easter basket but the grass is not good for dogs! If they consume the grass it can cause a blockage in their digestive tract.
Xylitol
Many sugar-free candies contain Xylitol, because it is a sugar substitute. Xylitol is deadly to dogs if ingested.
Lilies
Flowers always brighten up any room. Around Springtime lilies become a popular new centerpiece. Lilies are toxic to pets so keep them out of reach from your furbabies.
Easter Safety During Easter Dinner
Guests
Holidays always bring hustle and bustle. If you are hosting your Easter activities with the family, make sure to keep Easter safety tips fresh in your mind.
Make sure your dog doesn’t have access to the door where guests are entering. You wouldn’t want to have your dog slip through the door and go on a spree. Instead of an Easter egg hunt, it’ll be a Fido hunt!
Table Scraps
There are so many human foods that are unsafe for dogs. The biggest ones for Easter are ham, garlic, and onions. Garlic and onions are not good for dogs and will cause an upset stomach if they get some in their system. Ham is a very fatty meat which isn’t healthy for dogs, especially ones with a couple extra pounds already.
Safe Space
Not every dog likes every human it meets. And that’s okay! If your dog is one of those pups that is more timid around new people, give them the space to get away. Make sure your dog has plenty of room to go relax if they need to. Their own room, with a crate or dog bed to relax in.
They may also enjoy spending time with a mind exercise toy! Check out some ideas at Exercising Your Dog’s Mind.
