Melanie Riley
Vet nurse Caitlin Hawke, from Limestone Coast Vets, has warned people to be mindful over the Easter long weekend when it comes to our furry friends.
“I’d suggest for families with kids, if they’re doing an Easter hunt, perhaps don’t do it in the backyard if they’ve got a dog or a cat that hangs out in the backyard, just to reduce the risk of maybe forgetting that there’s an egg out there,” she said.
She suggested that easter egg hunts should be done in an area away from animals.
“If you are doing it in your backyard, maybe have someone know where everything is or have a count of how many eggs were hidden so they can count them all up and make sure there’s none missing.”
She warned that chocolate shouldn’t be left around the house in reach of animals, especially dogs.
“They can get toxicity from the chocolate,” she said.
“It depends on the breed, size and how much they’ve eaten.
“We’ve got a little toxicity chart, so if we know the weight of the dog and roughly how many grams they’ve eaten, we can have a look on the chart and see the risk.”
If anyone is concerned after their dogs have consumed chocolate, Ms Hawke said it is worth a call to the vet just in case.
“Give us a ring and we can have a chat on the phone and work out if it’s a visit or if we can just monitor it at home,” she advised.
“Best thing to do if in doubt, just give us a ring. You can always call after hours and get through to a vet as well.”
If you’re heading away for Easter, it’s important to ensure your animals are well taken care of if they’re staying home.
“If you’ve got someone that can house sit, that’s ideal,” Ms Hawke said.
“So depending on how long they’re going away for, if they just have someone come in and check on them and feed them a couple of times a day, that’s great.
“People should make sure their yard is secure and animals aren’t going to be escaping while they’re away.”
If pet sitting isn’t an option and owners are choosing boarding kennels or catteries, ensuring animals are up-to-date with vaccines is vital.
In addition, in accordance with the law, all cats and dogs should be registered and microchipped, which is especially important if you are travelling with your pets or leaving them at home over the Easter holidays.
Keeping registration and microchip details up-to-date is also important, and if the microchip number is known, it only takes a quick Google search to find the brand of the chip to check the details.
Ms Hawke wanted to remind people considering gifting bunnies as gifts for Easter, that while they make great pets, they should be gifted thoughtfully and not treated as disposable.
“It’s important to consider their long-term care and commitment,” Ms Hawke said.
“They make nice inside companions, are quite smart and you can litter train them.
“They probably don’t get enough credit for being a really nice little companion for someone.”
Ms Hawke said for bunnies kept outside at home, vaccinations are recommended to avoid Myxomatosis, which is caused by the myxoma virus, a poxvirus that can be spread between rabbits by close contact and biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes.
Hoppy Easter!
