Happy Easter! No Eggs or Lilies’s for You!
When I started thinking about this week’s post, I looked at the calendar to see what is happening this week. I did see that April 15th is coming up, but filing taxes really doesn’t effect our pets. (But wouldn’t it be great if we could declare them as dependents on our taxes??!!??)
Then I saw Easter Sunday! A wonderful time to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and gather with family and friends. I always think of Easter egg hunts and the wonderful smell of Easter lilies in church. As much as I love these things, they can be serious trouble for our furry family members.
Easter Egg Hunts: How great is it hiding filled eggs in your backyard? Fun for all! Just make sure all the eggs are found and picked up. If our dogs find a leftover egg and eat chocolate it could be extremely dangerous to them. Watch also any chocolate eggs in the house. Chocolate contains two ingredients that are toxic in large quantities: a chemical called theobromide and caffeine. Not all types of chocolate contain the same amounts of theobromide and caffeine; therefore, the amount and the type of chocolate your pet eats play a role in its toxic effects.Signs your pet may have an adverse reaction to chocolate include: Diarrhea/vomiting from the high-fat content in the chocolate,restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, tremors, increased drinking and urination, excessive panting, irritability,increased heart rate and abnormal heart rhythm. In extreme situations, seizures, collapse, and even death. If your pet shows any of these symptoms call Animal Poison Control or us at Wil-O-Paw Animal Hospital.
Easter Lilies: Smell great to us- highly toxic to our cats! If you have a cat DO NOT HAVE EASTER LILIES IN YOUR HOUSE! Just one bite of a petal, leaves, the stem, or even the pollen of an Easter lily can wreak havoc on your kitty’s digestive system and, if left untreated, can lead to kidney failure and death. And while a common culprit, Easter lilies are not the only type of lily that affects cats; tiger lilies, rubrum lilies, and some species of day lily are also poisonous to our feline friends.Early signs (approximately 2-4 hours after ingestion) of lily toxicity in your cat include: Vomiting, Lethargy,Lack of appetite. Later signs (approximately 24-72 hours after ingestion) include: Initially, increased thirst and urination. Then, decreased urination if the kidneys fail. Keep in mind that you might not see your cat ingest the lily. If you think there is even a slight chance that your cat has gotten into lilies, seek a veterinarian and tell him or her of your suspicions. When it comes to treatment of lily toxicosis in cats, time is of the essence! You will need to seek emergency veterinary care immediately. The Kalamzoo Emergency Hospital is open 24 hours.
Easter Blessings to all our wonderful clients and their pets from the doctors and staff at Wil-O-Paw Animal Hospital!