Easter break is finally upon us! However, while it’s a holiday for us – and for many of us, a time to celebrate with Easter Eggs and family gatherings. However, there are some serious seasonal threats to our pets – in this blog, we’re going to look at 5 important poisons to be aware of at this time of year.

 

Chocolate

Hopefully this is well known now… but vets across the country still see a surge in poisonings over Easter (all those eggs and bunnies…). Cocoa beans contain the active ingredient theobromine, as well as a smaller amount of caffeine. These two chemicals are collectively referred to as methylxanthines, and although harmless to humans, are toxic to both dogs and cats.

Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, followed by restlessness and anxiety. In more serious poisonings, convulsions, hyperthermia (abnormally high body temperature) and heart rhythm abnormalities may follow, which may in severe cases prove fatal.

Dogs are at the highest risk of poisoning because they often have a “sweet tooth” and are quite capable of chewing through packaging to get to the treat inside! Cats are just as susceptible to the toxic ingredient, but don’t usually like the taste of chocolate – so clinical poisoning is much rarer.

Of course, as the toxic methylxanthines are present in the cocoa solids in the chocolate, not all forms are equally dangerous – the higher the cocoa solid level, the more toxic. White chocolate generally has the least, with more in milk, then dark, then cocoa powder. The more “pure” the chocolate is the more dangerous – but don’t discount even cheaper milk chocolates as poisoning is still perfectly possible!

The best treatment is for your vet to induce vomiting before symptoms appear, and get rid of the poison before it’s absorbed. In some cases, activated charcoal may be used to “mop up” any left over. If symptoms have started, anti-vomiting drugs, anti-seizure medication, and heart drugs are used to control the symptoms. If symptoms are severe or progressing rapidly, your dog or cat would normally be admitted to the hospital for intensive care and intravenous fluids – a very expensive chocolate egg!

Our advice for prevention is to keep any chocolate in a secure place, well out of reach of curious (or greedy) pets!

 

Lilies

There are a wide range of plants called “Lilies” – some (like Peace Lily) are largely harmless, some can affect the heart (like Lily of the Valley), but many are lethally toxic to cats causing acute and often fatal kidney failure.

Although the exact toxin is still uncertain, it is present in all parts of the plant, and even a tiny nibble at a leaf can be dangerous. Cats have even been poisoned by grooming themselves after lily pollen dusted onto their fur!

The toxin damages the kidneys, leading to increased thirst and urination (“polyuric kidney failure”), and then complete kidney shutdown with the inability to produce urine at all (“anuric failure”). Kidney failure is commonly associated with vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, collapse, dehydration, convulsions and finally death.

Treatment with intensive care and aggressive intravenous fluid therapy can be effective before symptoms appear, or even in the early stages of poisoning, but cats that stop producing urine have a very poor prognosis.

Prevention is much better than cure, and we recommend that houses with cats in should never contain lilies as well! If you’re not sure which ones are poisonous, its those belonging to the Lilium and Hemerocallis groups – but if in doubt, if it’s called lily, it’s better off being given to a cat-free friend!

 

Daffodils

Yes, daffodils are poisonous to a wide range of animals, including both cats and dogs! However, the toxic components – chemicals called lycorine and phenanthridine alkaloids – are concentrated in the bulbs, and poisoning is usually only seen in animals (or, occasionally, humans) who eat the bulbs.

Most cases are relatively mild, with excessive drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea, as the alkaloids irritate the gut lining. Occasionally, more severe symptoms are seen, including abdominal pain, tremors, and heart problems, but this is rare.

Treatment is usually symptomatic – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids, anti-sickness medication if needed, and anti-convulsants or heart drugs if required. Fortunately, most cases are fairly mild, and in some cases, symptoms may never be noticed.

 

Flea Treatments

Spring is finally springing… and so are the fleas! This is traditionally the time when everyone starts treating their pets for fleas (which is, I’d like to emphasise, always a good thing – even though nowadays fleas tend to be active all year round). However, it is VITAL to remember that cats, dogs and rabbits are all different species, with different tolerances for different medications.

The typical example is a cat who is treated by their well-meaning owner with a pyrethroid or permethrin flea treatment. These spot-on drops are very safe and effective in dogs and rabbits, but lethal to cats – they cross into the brain and cause convulsions, seizures, and are usually fatal.

However, there is another problem – fipronil treatments used in rabbits. We now know that this drug can cause delayed poisoning in rabbits – with symptoms including tremors, seizures, diarrhoea, and death. However, in many cases symptoms do not appear for several days or even weeks after dosing.

To avoid problems or accidental poisoning, ALWAYS make sure you use the right product on the right animal, and if in doubt, talk to your vet for specific advice!

If your pet has eaten any of these poisons, we always recommend that you ring your vet for advice, even if they aren’t showing any symptoms yet. You can find a local vet here, too!