Spring Dangers to watch out for.

Moving out of the muddiest season (at last!) and into the beautiful warmer days of spring is definitely one of the happier times to be a pet owner. However, it comes with its own set of challenges to be aware of to prevent any unwanted vet visits.

Grass seeds are a common ailment this time of year. These pesky little seeds often embed themselves into the paws, noses and even eyes of our canine companions causing a whole host of problems. Most commonly these seeds present as a small swelling between your pets toes, weepy or partially closed eyes or sneezing.

Luckily, these are relatively easy for vets to remove in most cases. The best thing to do to prevent them from causing any discomfort is to check between your pets toes after each walk to check for seeds and remove them before they get a chance to dig in. You might find it easier to clip the fur between the toes to keep on top of this.

Another spring danger to watch out for is adders. Whilst this snakes rarely bite and are far more likely to run away they can post a potential danger to our friends. Symptoms include bleeding, rapid swelling, bruising, lethargy and vomiting. It’s important to stay calm and not interfere with the bite if possible. Additionally we do not recommend applying a tourniquet as these can do more damage than good if incorrectly used. Best thing to do is to seek veterinary advice as soon as possible.

Another pesky creature that emerges during this time is ticks. Ticks attach themselves to our friends to feed from them, once engorged they will fall off and move onto the next host. During the feeding process there is a risk of disease transmission, therefore it’s best to get these removed as soon as you find them using a tick twister. Do not apply Vaseline as this might cause the tick to regurgitate and this is more likely to cause disease. They like to hide in warm places, so check over your companion thoroughly, including armpits, under the collar and around the ears. If you are worried, talk to your vet about parasite protection to make sure they are covered.

The final spring danger to be aware of is chocolate and hot cross buns. Chocolate can be toxic to dogs at certain levels so it’s best to keep it out of reach altogether. If your furry friend does manage to get into your Easter chocolate make sure to phone your vet as soon as you can. In some cases we won’t need to worry as not enough chocolate has been ingested to cause serious illness (but be prepared for gastrointestinal signs). However if large amounts or high percentage of chocolate has been ingested your vet might recommend inducing vomiting to remove the toxin.  It’s always best to check with your vet so they can advise you based on your pets weight and the type of chocolate ingested.

Hot cross buns pose a different problem. Raisins are toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, there is little known about how their toxicity works and therefore there is no known toxic dose range. As little as a few raisins could cause serious illness in some dogs whilst other dogs could consume many without issue. Therefore, we always recommend inducing vomiting with these treats to be safe.

It’s important to be aware of the potential risks to your pets during this period so you can manage any issues if they occur. If you ever have any concerns about the following you should contact your vet for personalised care.