Written by Vet Assistant, Danielle & Dr. Gloria Ku
Rover is lying down on his
favorite blanket, watching his family enjoy the sunshine outside. The children are running around, finding
colorful balls…Rover
knows he will get in trouble if he tries to take one of the balls but he doesn’t know what is so special
about them. Time passes and suddenly,
the hustle and bustle of the day is quieter.
Rover comes across a basket that was forgotten inside the house…candy wrappers and jelly
beans hide beneath the plastic green stuff.
With no one watching him, Rover dives into the basket, happily finally
getting the chance to have his own colorful ball all to himself!
It’s a wonderful time to have family and friends
over to celebrate Easter. Whether it’s going to a church event
or having fun at your neighborhood park, most Easter celebrations might include
an egg hunt, baskets of goodies, and chocolate treats.
One helpful command for
dogs to learn is the “leave it” command. Often times, our pets
get into trouble when we are not looking, but there are times when we see them
perform an act unwanted. Such as picking
up a plastic egg with chocolate in it and trying to eat it.
There are many techniques
that can help with training the “leave it” command.
Here are links for 2 styles of training:
We asked Dr. Gloria Ku to
answer these following questions:
Pets eating the “grass” in Easter baskets: Why would it be bad for them to eat the
plastic? Do you recommend using the
paper grass instead?
"Paper grass is preferable
to plastic mainly because plastic doesn’t breakdown and can more easily cause
an obstruction or possible string entanglement of bowel. With paper, be mindful of dyes used to color
the material as well, but it is best if your pet does not consume any of
it!"
We know that dogs can swallow
tennis balls...can a dog safely digest an egg if they eat it whole?
"Haha, a dog may be able to
swallow a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean they can pass them! Depending on the size of the dog, he or she
may be able to digest a hard boiled egg, but if the shell is particularly firm
and has not been broken, they may not be able to break it down, especially if
they are able to swallow it whole!
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| Photo Credit: Lisa, RVT (Hooper & Rubicon) |
And of course, chocolate
eggs can be toxic depending on the size of your dog as well as how much actual
cocoa is present. The sugar and fat
associated with a lot of chocolate treats are also prone to causing
gastroenteritis, otherwise known as vomiting and diarrhea. Be aware that your dog’s nose is very good
and sniffing out hidden eggs that children and adults may have overlooked. Please keep track of where and the number of
treats hidden so that your four legged friend doesn’t find them later…
With the necessary
precautions in place, Happy egg hunting!!"
And just a friendly
reminder, if you’re thinking of buying a bunny for Easter, please consider adopting—not
shopping. Each year, many bunnies are
sent to the shelters after the holiday because pet owners aren’t aware of how much care
little bunnies will need or children get tired of taking care of a bunny and
the responsibility fall back onto the parents.
Just like cats and dogs, all creatures we take in as pets need specific
care and attention.
To find out what
kind of responsibility is needed for rabbit care, click this link: https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/care-pet-rabbit
