Chocolate - Look out for Chocolate treats around springtime and Easter. Chocolate is a common poison containing a stimulant called theobromine as well as caffeine. Dogs are particularly sensitive to theobromine and it can be poisonous to them in large enough amounts. Theobromine can make dogs unwell in a number of different ways, including heart issues. The higher the concentration of cocoa content (as seen in Dark Chocolate), the more dangerous it becomes!

Note: Sugar Free chocolates/sweets also contains xylitol, which is an artificial sweetener that is especially poisonous to dogs as it can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels and potentially liver failure.

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Raisins, Currents, sultanas and grapes found in Easter goodies such as Hot Cross Buns, Cakes and Fruit bread can cause kidney failure in Dogs.

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Spring Flowers and bulbs - Cats and dogs love spending time in the garden so watch out for poisonous plants. Toxic species of flowers common at this time of year include lilies, daffodils, tulips and crocuses. Daffodils can be toxic, particularly the bulbs. But the flower heads can also cause vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy. In severe cases this may result in dehydration, tremors and convulsions. A good way to prevent dangers is to refrain from bringing spring flowers into the house, although looking pretty, cats and dogs will think they look pretty tasty!

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Garden Waste - Its popular in springtime to start planting borders of flowers. Apart from the dangers of bulbs and spring flowers. Compost for planting flowers also poses a threat to our pets. Keep pets away from mouldy food that has been composted from kitchen waste which can cause issues when digested.  Note: Any food waste that goes into composting may contain hazardous dangers such as onions, garlic, leeks, currants, cooked bones, Avocados etc.

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Slugs and Snail pellets - be careful if you need to use pesticides of any kind in your garden as these are extremely poisonous (even in small doses) to our pets and can be fatal. Contact your vet immediately should you suspect your pet has ingested any potential poisons. The vet will ask you to bring the container into the appointment to calculate the toxicity.

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Ivy - Dogs who eat ivy develop drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea. In the most severe cases you may also see blood in the vomit or faeces. Contact with ivy can cause skin reactions, conjunctivitis, itchiness, and skin rashes.

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Grass Blades - Pets that ingest long grass can risk grass blades getting stuck in their nasal passage, cause breathing issues, coughing and nasal discharge. In addition, grass seeds also are associated with getting stuck into dogs feet. It's important to remove grass seeds quickly, because their pointy shape enables them to pierce through skin, enter the body and travel around causing problems such as infections and abscesses.

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Adder Bites - As the weather improves Adders will start to appear in the woodland and grassy areas. Be wary when walking your inquisitive dogs as Adders have a nasty venomous bite and your pet will require emergency treatment.

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BBQs - Keep your pets at a safe distance when lighting fires. Other dangers include hot embers, cooked bones and dropped food. Sweetcorn husks are well known to commonly cause gut blockages in dogs, requiring surgery to remove them.,

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Allergies -Allergies to plants, pollens, grasses, and many other substances occur in springtime. Allergies in pets normally appear as itchy skin and ear problems, accompanied by hair loss or inflamed skin. Some pets will even change their behaviour due to irritation. Some will suffer respiratory signs or runny eyes.

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