Since dogs were invented they’ve managed to find many spectacular, weird and not so wonderful ways of getting themselves in trouble. Actually no. That’s not strictly true. You see, dogs in the wild don’t tend to find themselves in dire emergencies as a result of some of the things that legitimately do kill our domestic canine pals. So it is in fact dogs living in our human world that need to be protected from things that are perfectly harmless – or even fun – for us, but deadly for them. An event is around the corner that poses particular danger to dogs…

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As hot cross buns, daffodils and chocolate eggs establish their place on supermarket shelves, a pet insurance specialist is urging dog owners to beware of the dangers of EASTER!

With an abundance of chocolate around the house, Easter is well known as a time of over indulgence for humans but, according to NFU Mutual, pets could be put at serious risk of harm or even die if they join the Easter excess.

Rebecca Davidson, Insurance Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “It is well known that chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can even prove fatal but pet owners may be unaware that raisins, currants and sultanas, found in hot cross buns or Simnel cake, are also toxic. Add to the ingredients some foil packaging or cake decorations, and you are looking at a recipe for disaster.”

Chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine (rather like caffeine) that is poisonous to dogs if eaten, while the compounds found in sultanas, currants and raisins can cause rapid kidney failure.

Other risks around the home at Easter include traditional spring flowers, such as daffodils and tulips, which are toxic to pets. As well the flowers being dangerous, water drunk from a vase of daffodils can make dogs unwell.

In 2016, the average vet’s bill for dogs who had eaten the wrong thing was £600¹. Rat poison or slug pellets continued to be the most common culprit, while nearly one in four claims involved chocolate and nearly one in ten dried fruit or grapes.

Rebecca added: “Dogs will eat almost anything and swallowing toxic substances and foreign objects takes place all year round. Stones, socks, skewers and even half a doormat were on the list of ingested items that made dogs unwell last year.”

“As a nation of dog lovers, the last thing we want to do is put our four legged friends in danger so it’s worth taking some extra precautions this Easter to avoid an emergency visit to the vet.”

Easter danger list for dogs:
1 Chocolate – keep Easter eggs well out of your dog’s reach and make sure your dog doesn’t find any leftover ‘treasure’ from Easter Egg hunts
2 Anything with currants, raisins or sultanas – so hot cross buns and simnel cake are all off the menu
3 Bones from cooked food – especially chicken bones
4 Easter flowers – such as daffodils, tulips and crocuses and bulbs
5 Alcohol

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