Aidan Curtis
WHILE Easter is a great time to get together as a family, vets are reminding people that extra care needs to be taken to ensure pets remain safe over the long weekend.
According to Gambier Vets veterinarian Rebel Skirving, Easter tends to see a spike in demand for vet services.
“As most people would guess, chocolate poisoning is one of the most common issues we see,” Dr Skirving said.
“Most pet owners know chocolate is toxic to dogs, so most of the poisonings we see are accidental.
“It can be life-threatening if they eat enough, but thankfully most cases are fairly mild and we can manage them medically.”
Dr Skirving said a common sense approach was normally best to ensuring dogs and other pets were kept away from chocolate.
“Keep it in a place where the dog can’t get to it,” she said.
“If you’re doing Easter egg hunts for the children, keep the dogs out of the way so they can’t go hunting as well.
“Darker chocolates are more toxic to dogs, so buying milk or white chocolate is safer just in case the dog does get hold of it.”
For families travelling with their pets over the weekend, Dr Skirving advised people to avoid putting their dogs in a space with another dog.
“We have an increase in dog fight wounds over the Easter period because people are travelling and taking their pets with them,” she said.
“They’re putting dogs together in the backyard that may not necessarily know or like each other, so unfortunately dog fights can become a problem.
“It’s not necessarily that they’re aggressive dogs, they’ve just been put in unfamiliar territory together.”
Dr Skirving also said people should check their accommodation beforehand to ensure pets would be unable to escape and get out on the roads.
“It’s pretty important if you’re taking a pet to a new location to make sure wherever you’re housing them is secure – doesn’t matter if they’re in the house or in the backyard,” she said.
“Make sure they’re microchipped and they’ve got IDs because if there’s a thunderstorm and they run away, particularly if they’re in an unfamiliar town, they can get very lost and very confused.
“Having some form of ID to get them home again is very important, so names and phone numbers on collars.”
