Spring hazards for your pet Words supplied by White Horse Veterinary Clinic
Who doesn’t enjoy a hot cross bun at Easter? As much as we like eating them, the raisins in them can be deadly to dogs. Grapes, and all their dried forms including raisins, sultanas and currants, can cause kidney failure. Every dog reacts individually, this means dogs that have eaten grapes are always taken seriously by your vet.
As the weather warms we start seeing garden pests such as slugs and snails. It can be tempting to put out poisons to control these pests but some of these contain a substance called metaldehyde. This is extremely poisonous to pets,and causes drooling, fever, seizures and can even be fatal.
A
s the first signs of spring appear, it’s a good idea to be aware of the dangers that might be around for your pet.
Seeing daffodils blooming is often one of the first signs that we are coming into spring. Although their bright colour means they’re beautiful to look at they can cause a nasty reaction and even be fatal if the bulbs are eaten. The rest of the daffodil, the stem, leaves and flower are less toxic, but still not good if ingested. To avoid a problem, make sure bulbs are stored out of reach and keep your dog away from areas with planted bulbs, especially if they have a history of digging.
If you like to have freshly cut flowers around the house and you have cats it’s best to avoid lilies as they are highly toxic. Just by drinking from the water that lilies have been standing in can be fatal to them, this is because the pollen is especially bad for cats and this can drift into the water from the flowers. Cats who brush against lilies can also get pollen on their fur and suffer poisoning when they lick themselves clean. Lily poisoning causes rapid, and often irreversible, kidney damage to cats.
Fertilisers can also upset pets, as the very high levels of minerals can cause toxic imbalances. Some contain herbicides, pesticides and fungicides, which are all potential poisons.
Check any slug or snail pellets for metaldehyde. We wouldn’t recommend their use in any garden if they contain this ingredient, as their ingestion can also kill wild animals. Fertilisers should also be used with care – dig them into the soil thoroughly, and don’t leave any plant food where pets can reach.
An independent veterinary practice based in Calne and Lyneham
CALNE SURGERY Tel: 01249 812715 Opening times:
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www.whitehorse-vet.co.uk
01380 734376 | April | Lifein | 13
© Photo by Kazuky Akayash on unsplash
© Photo by Matt Briney on unsplash
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