Spring is a lovely time of year where many families take advantage of warmer weather and longer days to enjoy more time outdoors.
Many homes across the country will be filled with delicious treats and colourful blooms that are often seen at this time of year.
It’s important to look out for any dangers or hazards for pets at this time of year and be aware of any risks to ensure you and your pets can enjoy the new season safely.
Cats and dogs
Spring cleaning – during springtime, cleaning products which are used for a spring clean can be dangerous to pets if ingested. Even a small amount of any cleaning product, if ingested can cause serious harm. It’s important that if you think your pet has ingested any cleaning products that you contact your vet right away.
Parasites – during spring, fleas, ticks, and worms all start to grow in numbers as the weather warms up. This increases the chances of your pet encountering them. Be sure to treat both indoor and outdoor pets for fleas and worms. And, treat any areas in the home where your pet regularly sleeps for fleas.
Seasonal allergies – Dogs and in some rare cases, cats, can develop seasonal allergies to pollens. These can often manifest as something called atopic dermatitis but can occur in isolation. Pets with seasonal allergies often itch and scratch, which can damage the skin, leading to sores and infections.
Adder bites – adders are the only venomous snake native to the UK. They come out of hibernation in Spring and if disturbed can bite. These injuries are most prevalent between April and July. It is common for dogs to experience swelling and pain at the site or a bite and approximately 5% of dogs will get extremely ill.
Wasps and bee stings – like us, pets can have reactions to stings from wasps and bees. At the least dangerous, these are merely a painful inconvenience but at their worst they can cause extreme immune reactions and serious swelling. If this is around the head and neck it can constrict the airway and restriction of breathing can be a major concern.
If you see bees and wasps inside the home, safely remove them from any areas that your pets may have access too. Keep an eye on your pets outside and if you see them investigating any bee or wasps, remove them from the situation.
Heatstroke – while heatstroke in cats is rare, it’s more likely to occur in dogs. Though you are more than likely to find that your cat is happy to sunbath, if you do believe your cat is suffering from heatstroke then contact your vet immediately.
Heatstroke occurs when animals cannot lose excess heat. A rise in body temperature by 4 degrees is enough to be fatal for your dog. There are preventative measures that you can take, but you should speak to your vet immediately if your dog is suffering from heatstroke.
Picnic food – as the weather gets warmer, more and more people will take their lunches out onto the sun and embark on picnics with friends. Picnics themselves will not harm you pets, it’s the litter and waste that can be left over that may be a danger to them. Smaller foods dropped on the floor, such as raisins can also be a choking hazard.
Rabbits
Flystrike – lots of flying insects appear as the weather warms up. Although most are harmless, some such as the bottle fly, lay their eggs inside rabbit fur. The flies are attracted to dirt and dampness found on the back end of rabbits. The eggs hatch into maggots, which burrows into the skin, causing shock and rapid death.
Diet change – rabbits are reintroduced to the garden in spring. Whilst grass is great for digestive health and exercise is important, a sudden change in diet can cause any pet some tummy troubles. To prevent and upset tummies, you could introduce your rabbit to the new fresh grass gradually.
Garden dangers – garden cleaning can involve the use of slug pellets, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilisers. Although these products can help gardens look great, many of them contain substances that are toxic to rabbits.
Slug pellets – many contain an ingredient called metaldehyde. This is extremely poisonous to pets and causes drooling, twitching, fever, seizures (fits) and even death. Glyphosphate is another common ingredient seen in weed killers and can be an irritant to the skin and tummy if consumed. \
Poisonous plants – rabbits are big eaters and are often on the lookout for food. Rabbits determine how edible something is by chewing them, which means that they are exposed to plenty of hazards typically garden plants.
If you are worried about your pet’s health always speak to your vet who is best placed to offer treatment advise.
