Easter Chocolate Warning for Pet Owners

Easter Chocolate Warning for Pet Owners: 

Easter is such a wonderful time of year; spring has sprung so daffodils are aplenty, and families come together to share chocolate eggs to celebrate the end of lent and the beginning of Easter. In order to ensure that your pet gets to join in with the celebrations, avoid letting them get their Paws and Claws on any chocolate, which can result in them becoming seriously unwell.

Why is my dog allergic to chocolate? 

All chocolate may seem delicious to us, however it contains a stimulant known as theobromine that is exceptionally poisonous to our pets. Whilst some chocolate has more theobromine in than others – dark chocolate has the most – all sweet treats should be avoided by our pets to kerb serious issues.

What are the symptoms? 

Symptoms tend to occur within 4 – 24 hours of your dog consuming chocolate and can vary depending on the amount they have consumed. Some symptoms include:

• Vomiting which may include blood
• Restlessness
• Seizures
• Diarrhoea
• Heavy breathing
• Increased heart rate

What should I do if my dog has eaten chocolate?

If your dog has eaten even the smallest amount of chocolate, we recommend that you contact your pet insurance provider, even if symptoms do not occur instantly. They will be able to put you in touch with a vet who will want to know the type of chocolate that has been consumed and how long ago your dog has eaten the substance, in order to work out whether a toxic dose has been digested, and in turn which treatment is most suitable. It’s likely that your dog will be made to vomit and given active charcoal which will help to absorb any leftover theobromine that is left in the intestine. 

A great alternative to Chocolate Eggs for your pet can be won in our Easter competition, which you can find out more about on our Facebook page until 28th March 2016.  Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for pet tips, funny pics, competitions & more!

How to tell that your dog loves you

Since dogs are such a huge part of our families, we often show them how much they mean to us; we must all give our pets stockings at Christmas and pet-friendly eggs at Easter?

Even the little things like regular care and maintenance shows just how much we all love the furriest member of our family. But how can we tell that they love us back?

1. Loves Sleeping Next to You

Dogs prefer to be with members of their pack and sleeping with you shows that they deem you to be a member of the pack. Whether they sleep with you at night, or just have a quick snooze on the sofa whilst you watch your favourite film, this is all signs that they connect to you on a social level and helps them to feel extra safe.

2. Happy When You Come Home

Does your dog run up to you and lick excessively when you walk through the door? It's sometimes shown in other ways than just jumping and licking; if he approaches you with his tail wagging, he’s very pleased to see you.

3. Following You Around

Dog’s follow their owner for many different reasons, including being intelligent creatures who understand that you are their source of food and shelter. They also absolutely love being with their family which they show by sticking by your side.

4. Playing With You

Dog’s natural way of playing is to wrestle with us, which sometimes comes at very inopportune moments! If you’ve ever sat back whilst your dog is playing with another canine companion, you’ll see that he plays in a similar way to how he plays with you. It shows he feels comfortable around you and loves your company.

5. Cuddles after Eating

Our pet’s top priority is where their next meal is coming from, so it really is no surprise that they jump any opportunity to fill their tummies. But what is your dog’s next priority after eating? If they love nothing more than a relaxing cuddle after a meal, it’s a good sign that they are very comfortable around you.

Want to show even more love for your dog? Why not consider getting him insured from as little as £3.74 a month. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more pet tips, fun pics & competitions. We’re also on Facebook and Instagram, so give us a like!

Vomiting in Cats

More often than not, vomiting in cats can be easily managed at home. If your feline friend has vomited to bring up a hairball, has sneakily been stifling human food, or is perhaps reacting to something that they have hunted, their recovery should be fairly rapid and not be something to worry over too much.

Other more serious symptoms of vomiting in your pet could include road traffic accidents, fights with other cats, or eating something toxic – which in colder weather could be anti-freeze, or salt on roads.

Managing the Condition at Home:

The general guide is that if your cat has not been vomiting for more than 24 hours and doesn’t seem to be showing too many other signs of being unwell, you can begin to manage the condition at home. You must start with a period of starvation which must never exceed 24 hours. Be aware that if your cat is under 6 months old, you should not starve it for longer than 6 hours as this may cause the condition to deteriorate.

Watch their Diet:

Practising the starvation method should be followed immediately with a bland protein diet fed to your cat in 4 to 6 very small meals throughout the day; fish or poached chicken will usually suffice. By introducing the food in small stages, your cat’s sensitive stomach won’t be overloaded. Continue this for two or three days and make sure that plenty of fresh water is readily available to your pet, although don’t provide milk as this can increase the nausea in some cases.

Keep them at home:

Whilst you are strictly watching what your cat consumes, and feeding the bland diet, you should consider keeping your cat confined to your home. This will allow you to keep an eye on how well he’s recovering and to stop him from eating something he shouldn’t in either the house or the garden.

If your kitten or cat has been vomiting for over 24 hours, or if you have noticed blood in the vomit, you should contact your pet insurance provider who will put you in touch with a vet immediately.

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Prepping your Dog’s Paws for Cold Weather

Have you noticed that you’ve started to pile on more layers when stepping out of your front door and that winter seems to be longer this year? Well, these colder days and nights can really affect our dogs too.

Whilst their paws are exposed to the elements and toxic chemicals, their paw pads are at risk of drying and cracking and in extreme cases, chemical burning. Thankfully, there are a few things that we, as owners, can do to help combat these possibilities and ensure our dog’s paws remain healthy as the colder weather continues.

Prepare the Paw

Find a balm, or wax that suits your pet’s needs and then begin to prepare the paw for the balm. Many pet owners recommend Vaseline, but it’s important for the balm to be suited to your pet.

If your dog has long hair, use a clipper to make sure that the hair between the paw pads is short which will help prevent ice from forming in between and around the pads. This can be extremely painful for your pet and result in them becoming reluctant to go outside in colder weather.

Apply the wax before you go out for a walk in a thin layer and afterwards wipe your dog’s paw with a warm cloth. This will help to remove any snow, or ice. Follow this with applying further wax to stop the paw from drying out.

Avoid using salt and de-icer

Not only is salt bad for the paws and makes them dry out, it can also be toxic if ingested by your furry loved one. This is also the case for chemical de-icers used to thaw your car mirrors.

Try an alternative like popping a cover over your windscreen to stop ice from forming, and make sure you’re aware of treated areas so that your dog’s paws aren’t victim to salt and de-icer.

If your dog’s paws show major signs of irritation, like rashes or bleeding, it’s best to get in contact with your pet insurance provider who will refer you to a vet if needed.

Shorter walks are preferable

Dogs who are left in the cold for a lengthy period of time are at a higher risk of frostbite on paws, or even hypothermia. With this in mind, it may be an idea to go on shorter and more frequent walks with your pet, rather than one long walk to keep them from spending hours in the cold conditions.

Let us know how you treat your dog’s paws in this cold weather over on our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter and tweet us your thoughts!