Hop To It! Tips for a Safe and Fun Easter for Dogs
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Time to read 5 min
Easter is the perfect time for a fun-filled celebration with family and friends, and that includes the four-legged ones! While much of what’s fun for us might be just as appealing for our fur-riends, not all Easter festivities and foods are safe for pets. Dangers can lurk inside candy, flowers, and even egg hunts! But not to worry – it’s easy to pet-proof your Easter party, removing the threats while keeping the fun for everyone involved! Read on for our top Easter do’s and don’ts for dogs to help make Easter fun, safe and even nutritious for pets, including healthy dog treats and organic antler dog chews of course!
Easter Do’s and Don’ts for Dogs: Foods
We all know that doggos love food – and a party with food makes the eating even easier for crafty cleanup artists scavenging under tables and feet! However, Easter meals and treats can pack some serious dangers for dogs. Top offenders for Easter food don’ts for dogs follow.
- Chocolate: Topping the list at Easter is chocolate – whether in the form of eggs, bunnies or kisses, it’s toxic for dogs and needs to be kept far away from pups as possible.
- Raisins, coated or otherwise: Another potentially lethal threat is raisins, which can cause irreversible kidney failure in some dogs. In fact, they can be a much bigger hazard than the chocolate they might be covered in.
- Candy in general: In fact, all candy is off limits for dogs – they don’t need the sugar, and some can be choking hazards to boot. Easter baskets and candy need to be closely monitored, guarded and kept away from pets at all costs, especially in a party setting when sweets, baskets and plates might be left unattended.
- Onions and garlic: While they give a lot of our favorite Easter recipes delectable flavor, garlic and onion are toxic to pets and can give them stomach upset or worse.
If your pup ingests any of these dangerous or toxic foods, time is of the essence, so seek immediate veterinary help. The ASPCA offers a fee-based 24-hour hotline for animal poison control that can provide invaluable advice that could potentially save a pet’s life.
While pets should be kept clear of the above foods and others found in our related blog article, as well as any human foods with added fats, salt or nitrites, there are some food do’s that dogs can enjoy at Easter and even stay on theme, such as:
- Green beans: Raw or steamed green beans free of any butter or salt (that is, before they go into the casserole!) make a healthy, vitamin-rich snack for a pup that is on point for an Easter menu.
- Carrots: Like the Easter bunny, your pup can chomp away on carrots, raw or cooked, as long as they are free of seasoning and fat.
- Potatoes: Boiled, preferably peeled potatoes (in other words, pre-potato-salad!) are another yummy, safe treat your pup can enjoy while you partake in the human versions! Skins should be eaten sparingly, if at all, due to the oxalates they contain, but otherwise, potatoes are a great dog snack.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Another Easter staple, plain, peeled, hard-boiled eggs – not deviled! – are not only safe for pets, but they are also a great source of low-fat protein, amino acids and vitamins. Word to the wise – go easy on the eggs to avoid unpleasant digestive side effects!
- Healthy dog treats: Of course, the best treats for dogs are treats made for dogs, especially the single-ingredient, preservative-free turkey or chicken chips we make here at Farm to Pet. And that’s not just our opinion – check out this glowing review from Emily Reviews for confirmation!
Easter Do’s and Don’ts for Dogs: Activities
The idea of a dog Easter egg hunt sounds adorable – and it certainly can be. However, it could also be a disaster if we don’t take steps to make it a success. Here’s how to make an “egg hunt” an Easter do for dogs!
First of all, it’s best not to mix kids and dogs for an egg hunt for several reasons. According to the American Kennel Club, a hunt can prompt overstimulation or unwanted behaviors like resource guarding, even in dogs who interact well with children normally. This can be exacerbated if the dog is hungry or pent up before the hunt. Dogs can also end up finding real or plastic eggs not meant for them, eating shells, plastic, or foil or other unsafe contents in the process.
The solution? Have the doggy “egg” hunt first – and don’t use eggs! Instead, just use a few treats like Farm to Pet chicken chips or carrots, or one big find like an organic elk antler chew. This will help wear the puppo out, give him a sense of accomplishment for finding the reward(s), and keep her busy chewing while the kiddos get their chance to hunt and secure their finds out of the reach of dogs!
Easter Do’s and Don’ts for Dogs: Gifts
While most Easter gifts are for people, any day is a good day for a puppy gift! In fact, any holiday or social occasion is a perfect time to examine how to make gifts safe, fun and delicious for humans and fur babies alike. For example, when it comes to people in households with canine family members, do your best to make dog-friendly Easter baskets. Choose non-toxic candy like marshmallow peeps or carob malt balls and avoid choking hazards like jawbreakers or taffy. If you must gift chocolate, keep it boxed and wrapped and put it in a cupboard or fridge as soon as it’s received – and better yet, make it white chocolate. It can still be harmful, but nowhere near as dangerous as darker varieties.
Another thing to avoid in human Easter gifts? Plants or flower arrangements with lilies. Lilies are highly toxic – and for some reason very attractive – to pets. Tulips are also dangerous to dogs and cats, as are many other types of flowers. The ASPCA publishes comprehensive lists of flowers and plants that are unsafe and safe for dogs and cats, so best to be safe and review it before bringing flowers to a pet parent.
In addition to pet-friendly human gifts, you might want to bring a dog or puppy gift as well! This is not only generous and thoughtful – and very much appreciated by the doggo in question! – but it also has one other huge benefit to everyone involved. It can provide a distraction for the dog while the humans are enjoying things they can’t! A perfect choice at Easter or any gathering with lots of activity and potential dangers is a long-lasting, non-messy, non-smelly dog chew like our organic antler dog chews. Antler chews can provide hours of safe, tasty and satisfying chewing distraction, as well as even stress relief to a dog who would otherwise be overwhelmed by his surroundings. Of course, a bag of healthy dog treats is always an appropriate puppy gift pack! It can also be used to reward a puppo for good behavior like not jumping or begging or leaving an errant candy when told to drop it.
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So there you have it – our simple yet crucial ways to make Easter fun, safe and healthy for pets. These Easter do’s and don’ts for dogs cover foods, activities and gifts to keep everyone on your guest list – furry and four-legged or not – hopping with joy!
