Easter: chocolate, lilies & hot cross buns can poison pets. Pete the Vet Podcast on Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show

Avoid poisoning your pets accidentally over Easter

Over the Easter weekend, there are several hidden toxic hazards for pets in many homes, and it’s far better to avoid them rather than waiting until it’s too late and there’s a crisis. There are three specific situations to look out for:

• Chocolate. Most people are now aware of the risk of poisoning dogs with chocolate, and this weekend, there will be stashes of Easter eggs in most Irish homes.
• Easter lilies. Cats are exquisitely sensitive to the toxins contained in the pollen, flowers and leaves of lilies, suffering from serious kidney failure if they swallow even small quantities. The safe answer is simple: don’t have lilies in your home if you have cats.
• Hot cross buns. There’s nothing wrong with dogs eating buns, but avoid the raisins: they can cause kidney failure in dogs.

To learn more about these poisons, listen to the podcast at the foot of this page, or follow the link to my recent article in the Telegraph about what to do if your pet is poisoned.

Questions from listeners

• I have an eight year old Irish Terrier bitch. She has a very oily coat. Could her been neutered be the cause of this or is there some other reason?
• My Elkhound constantly eats grass, like she’s actually grazing! Why & what can I do? It comes out as string when she does her business, & often gets stuck on way out & I have to pull it out.
• We have a goldfish at home (it is  my little boy’s) and we are going away for four days. Is there a feeding tablet we can get to place in the bowl for the days we are away? Lucy.
• How can I get my Tonkinese cat to slow down eating his wet food please – he is six years old. Martin
• What is your opinion on Apoquel for treatment of skin irritation in a dog? He was on steroids but started to develop signs of Cushing’s disease.

To hear the answers to the above questions, click on the podcast link below.