Easter and pets

 The Easter Bunny is coming!  As you and your family are preparing for the Easter celebrations, don't forget to remember how you will keep your family pets safe and happy as well.
​ This Is My Food Not Yours 
  Many of our Easter treats and traditions can be dangerous to animals. Some of our favorite foods can be toxic, such as chocolate, onions, garlic, and xylitol.  Other favorite foods can upset their stomachs and aren't healthy for them to eat. 
  Some common Easter foods you should keep away from your pets include:

• Deviled eggs
• Ham
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Chocolates
• Candy
• Mashed/twice-baked potatoes
• Green beans, if prepared with butter, or bacon grease (plain green beans are safe to share with your dogs and are a great treat)
• Alcohol

House Rules
 Having friends and family over for Easter dinner has always been a fun tradition in our home as I'm sure the same for a lot of you as well.  Setting some house rules for your guests is a good idea to help your animals from getting "treats" they shouldn't have. 
 Examples are....​

• No feeding them from the table
• No candy
• Don't leave the door/gate open
• Don't leave your plate unattended 
• Don't leave your drink where they can get into it

 Egg Hunting Time 
 Finding Easter Eggs is so much fun for kids and families. For some dogs it can overstimulating with the kids running, laughing, yelling and racing around finding the eggs. If this is the case for your dog, it might be a good idea to put them up or on a leash to keep them safe. Dogs might starts running, nipping, or gripping the eggs themselves and not wanting to release them. 
 Make sure you know exactly how many eggs were hidden and found to ensure that none have been left where your dog can find them later, and check your yard for candy wrappers. 
Easter Lilies and other toxic plants
 Easter Lilies are beautiful but they are highly toxic to cats and dogs and ingested can lead to kidney failure. 
Some other beautiful but toxic Easter plants are

• Daffodils
• Tulips
• Lilies
• Hyacinth
• Gladiolus
• Chrysanthemum
• Iris
• Hydrangea
• Amaryllis
• Azalea

 Pet Safe Alternatives

• Roses
• Sunflowers
• Zinnia
• Petunia
• Tickseed
• African Violets
• Gerber Daisy
• Snapdragon
• Alstroemeria(dogs only)

Dog/Cat safe Easter Basket 
 A great alternative and a way to refocus your dogs attention, is to give them their own pet safe Easter basket. Filling it with treats and toys just for them. 
Have you heard of a Snuffle Mat? It's a great toy that you can sprinkle their food in or hide their treats in, that stimulates their minds, That would be awesome to put in their Easter Basket.  You can find them on Amazon for dogs and cats. 
  
  Fun and safe time for everyone in the family 
We hope you have a wonderful holiday with your whole family, no matter how many legs they have.  If you do find that your dog or cat had gotten into food they shouldn't of plants, please don't wait for your regular vet to open back up during their normal business hours, contact your local emergency clinics and get them help and relief as soon as possible. If you are here in the Lakeway area you can contact Five Rivers Pet Emergency Hospital at (423)581-9492 or Animal Emergency and Specialty Center of Knoxville at (865)693-4440  

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