A Somerset veterinary practise has shared eight tips to keep your pets safe during this easter.

Isle Valley Pets in Stoke-Sub-Hamdon is urging owners to ensure they keep pets away from Chocolate eggs and other foods such as hot cross buns, sweets and roast dinner leftovers this easter.

Vets tend to see a surge in pets suffering from chocolate poisoning over the festive period due to its popularity on the holiday.

Head veterinary nurse at Isle Valley Vets, Becky Wood, said: “We see a higher number of

chocolate poisoning cases at this time of year and urge owners to keep Easter treats well out of

the reach of pets. Most of the poisoning cases we see have involved dogs sniffing out Easter eggs

and helping themselves, so if you do have chocolate in the house, lock it away or put it up high

where your pet can’t get to it.”

Dogs can also be poisoned by raisins and sultanas from teacakes and hot cross buns, which in large amounts can prove fatal.

To help everyone enjoy a happy Easter, Isle Valley Vets has come up with eight useful tips for pet

owners:

  1. Keep Easter eggs out of reach of your dog as chocolate can cause hyperactivity, an elevated heart rate and seizures.
  2. Don’t let dogs eat hot cross buns because the grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas they contain can be toxic to pets.
  3. Flowers are popular Easter gifts, but they can make pets very ill. Daffodils, tulips and crocuses are toxic, especially if dogs dig up and eat the bulbs, while lilies can cause excessive salivation (drooling), lethargy, vomiting and kidney failure in cats.
  4. Keep stuffed cuddly toy bunnies and chicks and plastic toys away from dogs because they can be chewed or swallowed, causing choking or blockages.
  5. Turkey, chicken, lamb, beef and pork bones that have been cooked splinter easily and can perforate your dog’s stomach or cause choking. They are dangerous and should never be fed to dogs.
  6. Avoid feeding scraps from the table. Rich, fatty foods can result in vomiting or diarrhoea and lead to an increased risk of pancreatitis, a painful and serious condition.
  7. Keep onions and garlic - powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated - away from your dog and be aware that foodstuffs such as stuffing can contain these ingredients. They can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and anaemia.
  8. Prevent pets having access to alcohol as it can cause serious liver damage.

Becky said: “Even the most well-behaved pets can be tempted to steal food, so make sure they can’t reach the tops of cookers or kitchen worktops and that bins containing leftovers aren’t accessible.”

Follow these tips and enjoy a happy Easter for you and your pets!