Easter 2023: Why chocolate eggs can be dangerous to cats and dogs

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Chocolate easter eggs are more toxic to pets rather than a treat.

With Easter weekend soon upon us, your chocolate egg collection may be growing by the day. However, it’s important to keep your stash away from your furry friend.

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While chocolate eggs are a staple of Easter, they can actually be harmful to your canine or feline companion. Select ingredients in our beloved Easter treat can be toxic to pets and could result in further health problems.

As pet owners will know, our beloved pets can sometimes be quite sneaky. Even if you have an eye on your chocolate egg, your furry friend may try their luck at snatching away your Easter treat.

However, if you want your pet to join in on your easter festivities this weekend, there are a few non-toxic easter eggs available in supermarkets that your furry companion can chow down on.

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We break down the dangers chocolate can have on both dogs and cats and look at some pet-friendly offerings they can enjoy over the weekend.

Remember to keep your chocolate Easter eggs away from your pets

While you may have chocolate scattered around the house as part of an Easter egg hunt, make sure to keep your canine and feline companions away from the festivities.

Chocolate can be dangerous to both cats and dogs due to the ingredient theobromine. It is found in cocoa, with dark chocolate being more harmful to pets as it has a higher content of theobromine due to the increased cocoa content.

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Theobromine is a stimulant, and can not be metabolised in canines and felines as it does in the human body. This can lead to a build-up, which can result in health problems down the line, including liver failure in cats as well as kidney failure in dogs.

Get your pet their own Easter treat

Your pet can still join in on celebrations this weekend with an Easter egg of its own. Several retailers have pet-friendly options for both cats and dogs, including Morrisons and Pets At Home.

Shoppers can pick up a cat and dog easter treat at Morrisons, while Pets at home have a few to choose from, starting at £1.87.

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