Holiday decor puts pets at safety risk

(FOX Providence) - Easter brings about thoughts of spring chicks and bunnies. Animals like those, and your own pets, could be at risk during the holidays.

Decorating for the holidays puts everyone in the spirit but what many people are not aware of are the dangers that are in everyday household items.

Here are some items to stay away from:

Chocolate:

Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and dogs love chocolate! It is important to keep all chocolate out of reach of dogs. The symptoms the dog will get depends on the size of the dog and the amount and type of chocolate eaten. Mild signs include vomiting and diarrhea. More severe signs include shaking, increased heart rate, and even seizures, heart arrhythmias and in rare cases death. Early treatment and monitoring allows us to get most dogs through this.

Easter Lily:

Most plants in the Lily family are toxic to cats. If the cat chews even a small amount of the leaves or flowers it can cause kidney failure. Unfortunately, once kidney failure occurs there is usually little that can be done. Immediate treatment after the plant is consumed can help some cats. There are many plants that are toxic to cats – Lilies bear special mention because of the severe kidney damage they cause. If your cat likes to chew on greenery, there are several good websites that list toxic and nontoxic plants.

Easter Grass:

The plastic grass that fills most kid’s Easter baskets, just like tinsel at Christmas time, is attractive to some cats. Consumption of the strands can cause bunching and even perforation of the intestines.

Why not to buy bunnies or chickens as Easter gifts

Bunnies and chickens seem to be a cute idea around Easter but once the holidays pass many owners neglect to take care of raising these unusual house pets, leading to possible abandonment.

Bunny:

People purchase bunnies more so around the Easter Holiday but although it seems like a cute idea at the time, what happens is the cuteness wears away as the bunny becomes a time sink in which the lost of interest becomes a possible abandonment scenario for the bunny.

Chickens:

Chicks are cute when their small but they could become a daily nuisance. Along the same lines as the bunnies, chicks also seem like a cute idea to get around the Easter Holiday. What people are not aware of is a chick can turn into a hen for laying eggs OR become a rooster that will become an instant daily alarm.

Dr. Justine Johnson and Dr. Cyndi Brown from Ocean State Veterinary Services , joined The Rhode Show to share more ways to pets safe.

Check out the attached video for their expert tips.