It’s not news anymore that chocolate is bad for dogs, so rather than rehash that old trope at Easter, this week we’re sharing some suggestions on how to have an Easter egg hunt that your madra can also take part in safely.
Obviously, with extra chocolate in the house, you should take care to ensure they’re out of your dog’s reach – even the best boy has a few tricks up his sleeve to get something he shouldn’t have. Keep it out of sight and out of reach to avoid any expensive and worrying trips to the vet next week.
Let children know that while sharing is caring, it’s not good for a dog to share their Easter treats. Instead, they can have their own doggy treats.
One Easter tradition that might leave chocolate where dogs can find it is an Easter egg hunt. An alternate option is to use non-edible eggs, such as plastic or paper eggs. These can often be found in supermarkets and pound shops so are an inexpensive solution.
Children can search for these eggs and exchange them like vouchers for a chocolate egg from a supervising adult. This way, the child can enjoy the Easter fun with their furry pal and the dog is safe from toxic treats that could prove harmful to their health. If your dog is likely to try and swallow plastic eggs, however, it might be best to try a different method or use different items in place of the eggs, like stuffed toys or tennis balls.
Perhaps you’d prefer to have your child search for traditional chocolate eggs instead? In this instance, two separate hunts can take place: one where the child looks for chocolate and another where the dog looks for pet-appropriate treats with a child’s help.
If your dog is highly food-driven or great at sniffing out different scents, you could stuff their toys with treats and hide those around your home or garden. A Kong toy filled with peanut butter or dog biscuits is a great choice and one that will leave them with full bellies and wagging tails.
If you are having two separate hunts, make sure you keep track of the items hidden for each one. You don’t want a disappointed child who keeps finding sticky, peanut butter-covered treats and you definitely don’t want to discover your dog munching on misplaced chocolate.
If the worst happens and your dog consumes chocolate, contact your vet immediately. As it is a bank holiday weekend, many practices will be closed so keep your vet’s emergency contact number saved in your phone just in case.
