Did you know that chocolate is one of the most common poisonings that vets see in dogs.

With Easter just around the corner this can bring lots of hazards into your home. Scroll down to keep reading and keep your pet safe this Spring season.

Daffodils are toxic to both cats and dogs. The whole plant is toxic, especially the bulbs. Please see the above picture for the symptoms to watch out for. Be particularly careful if your dog likes digging holes in the garden, as he could easily dig up and chew a bulb. If you are worried please do not hesitate to contact our team.

If you think your dog has eaten chocolate, please call our experienced team for advice. We will ask you a few questions about your pets type, age, weight and how much and the type of chocolate that your dog has consumed. All of this information is vital for us to understand how severe the condition could be.

The symptoms of chocolate poisoning are vomiting, diarrhoea, trembling, restlessness and excessive thirst and in more severe cases seizures and heart attacks. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate, please do not delay, contact us for further advice. Our vets are on call until 10 pm, 365 days a year and between 10 pm – 7 am our phones will give you access to veterinary advice and a local emergency veterinary clinic if required.

Theobromine is the main ingredient in chocolate which causes the poisoning and can start with signs of your pet becoming very hyper active. The content of it varies in different chocolates, dark chocolate is roughly 9 x higher in theobromine than milk chocolate. As a rough guide – if a dog eats more than 1mg per kilogram body weight of dark chocolate, it can be poisonous and will require immediate treatment. So an average Labrador would need to eat 30 grams or more of dark chocolate to be poisonous.

** Please note ** This is a rough guide. If you have any concerns do not hesitate to call our team.

Always keep chocolate out of reach from all pets, as it is potentially poisonous to cats, and other animals such as rodents and rabbits too.

Picture credits : International Cat Care.

If you are thinking of buying flowers for Easter this year, please consider the pets in your home. Lilies are extremely toxic to cats and can cause liver damage. The toxins can be picked up by your cat in many ways : Drinking from the vase, brushing against the lilies and then grooming themselves and also grooming their paws and claws if they have touched the plant.

Make mine chocolate!

This Easter, please don’t buy a rabbit on impulse. A rabbits average lifespan is around 5 – 10 years. They require vet visits, yearly vaccinations, daily attention and exercise. They are not ‘low maintenance’ pets and need as much care as a cat or dog as well as regular company from both yourself and a bunny friend. If you are considering getting a rabbit please have a read through our Rabbit Care Guide and look into adopting from a local rescue. On average rabbits are dumped or abandoned within 3 months of ownership and approximately 35,000 rabbits are abandoned every year according to the RSPCA. Please do not hesitate to contact our team if you need to know more about rabbit care and whats involved.

Our opening times over the Easter period are Friday 30th March all surgeries are closed apart from our Ealing surgery, which is open for EMERGENCIES ONLY between 10 am – 11 am. Saturday 31st March and Sunday 1st April opening hours are as normal. Monday 2nd April our surgeries are closed, apart from Ealing which is open for  EMERGENCIES ONLY between 10 am – 11 am. We hope you wont need to contact us but just in case our phone lines will give you access to veterinary advice 24/7.

Wishing all our clients and their pets a very Happy Easter – Anthony Young, Matthew Wilson & all the team at Young Veterinary Partnership.