Vet urgently warns about toxic household items for pets this Easter, including popular spring flower to keep away from dogs

With Easter just around the corner, vets are urging owners to be wary of seemingly harmless household items that could be deadly to dogs.

David Hollinshead at VetsNow in Middlesbrough warns that owners should pay extra attention during celebrations such as Easter, when the risk of accidents is greatest.

“We see a large increase in pet emergencies during holidays and major events, and often this is due to pets eating things they shouldn’t, such as flowers or chocolates,” he said.

Some flowers can be extremely dangerous

One such flower to look out for is the popular spring flower, daffodils, which sources say are highly poisonous to dogs. Blue Cross.

According to the charity, the bulbs are the most dangerous part as this is where the toxins are concentrated, but owners are warned against consuming any part of the flower, including drinking the water from a vase of daffodils.

Symptoms of daffodil poisoning include illness and an upset stomach. If your dog is sleepy and wobbly, these are also telltale signs of daffodil poisoning that you should look out for.

The charity recommends marking out flower spots in the garden and keeping an eye out for daffodils growing in walking areas.

Similarly, a number of other spring flowers, including tulips, buttercups and bluebells, can be fatal. Consuming any part of the plant, especially the bulb, can make dogs sick, and symptoms of stomach upset are often signs of flower poisoning.

Tulips can also cause drooling, nausea and diarrhea, breathing problems and heart palpitations.

Bluebells are one of the most dangerous spring flowering plants and, if consumed in large quantities, can have fatal consequences. The Blue Cross charity is warning owners to be careful when walking through woodland areas where clusters of bluebells can often be found.

Toxic foods to avoid

While preparing the Easter meal can be stressful, it’s vital that owners are also wary of what’s within reach while cooking, pet food company Purina advises. An expensive vet bill will undoubtedly be much more stressful than burnt potatoes.

Pet owners should avoid feeding dogs anything containing sultanas or sultanas, according to Purina, which definitely means hot cruss buns.

Garlic, onions and leeks can also be very dangerous for dogs to consume, with the average vet bill for impending onion poisoning being £339, according to data taken from pet insurance claims.

ManyPets veterinarian Dr. Kirsten Ronngren says this is because onions contain disulfides that can destroy a dog’s red blood cells, leading to a condition called hemolytic anemia.

“Treatment for onion toxicity depends on the size of the pet and how much it has consumed,” she said.

‘In more severe cases, the toxic dose may have been reached, requiring a pet to be treated for anemia.’

Hot cross buns also have the power to result in a hefty vet bill for dog owners. This is because both sultanas and sultanas are poisonous to dogs. It is thought that the tartaric acid in grapes causes the poisoning. Signs of an upset stomach, drooling and loss of appetite are all symptoms of poisoning.

Nutmeg, another common ingredient in hot cross buns, can also be potentially dangerous due to the hallucinogenic toxin myristicin.

Although it is marketed as a healthy alternative, manufacturers tend to put Xylitol, an artificial sweetener, in our food, causing a spike in insulin that can even be fatal for dogs.

Although symptoms often disappear within an hour, the risk of liver failure increases if a lot of Xylitol has been consumed.

Make sure you throw away all chocolate wrappers

While most of us know not to give dogs chocolate, Easter egg packaging can also be harmful to dogs.

Foil packaging can not only pose a choking hazard, but can also lead to a dangerous intestinal obstruction, causing abdominal pain and vomiting.

If you’re trying to make healthier choices for yourself this year, beware that the sweeter one, Xylitol, can be dangerous to dogs.

If you must give them a treat, stick to vegetables

Owners should not only be mindful of what is within the reach of greedy pups, but also be careful about what they feed as leftovers.

Research from Welsh company Burns Pet Nutrition has found that a third of owners overfeed their dogs, with 45 percent even sharing cheese with their dogs.

But founder of vet Burns Pet Nutrition, John Burns MBE, is urging owners to think twice about overfeeding.

‘Dogs don’t necessarily need tasty snacks, only we owners like to give them!’

Don’t let those big puppy eyes pressure you,” he said.

Burns recommends not feeding dogs leftovers and suggests using steamed vegetables if absolutely necessary.