April 20, 2025, is Easter Sunday. Holidays are great for spending time with family and friends – pets included, of course! However, each holiday has elements that could be dangerous to our pets and Easter is no exception. Whether you are having egg hunts, Easter baskets filled with treats, or a special holiday meal it’s important to remember to keep certain items out of reach for dogs and cats – including decorations and plants.
Here is some information from Google, The Comforted Kitty and American Kennel Club:
Safe Easter Foods for Dogs:
- Vegetables: Carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. (Not cooked with spices, sauces or dangerous ingredients)
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries.
- Other: Peanut butter (xylitol-free), rice, and eggs.
- Pet-Friendly Easter Treats: Consider making homemade dog-safe treats like carrot pupcakes or peanut butter and yogurt “Peeps”.
- Carob: A good chocolate alternative for dogs.
Foods to Avoid for Dogs:
- Chocolate: Contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.
- Grapes and Raisins: Can cause kidney failure in dogs.
- Onions and Garlic: Can damage red blood cells in dogs.
- Xylitol: An artificial sweetener that is extremely toxic to dogs.
- Alcohol: Can be fatal for dogs.
- Bones: Can splinter and cause internal injuries.
Safe Easter Foods for Cats: (Not cooked with spices, sauces or dangerous ingredients)
- Cooked Chicken or Turkey: In moderation, these can be safe treats.
- Cooked Fish: Salmon, tuna, and other fish can be a good source of protein.
- Eggs: Cooked eggs are a safe and nutritious treat.
- Green Beans: A safe and healthy vegetable for cats.
- Carrots: Can be a healthy and safe treat in small amounts.
- Pet-Friendly Easter Treats: Consider making homemade cat-safe treats like tuna and catnip croutons.
Foods to Avoid for Cats:
- Chocolate: Contains theobromine, which is toxic to cats.
- Grapes and Raisins: Can cause kidney failure in cats.
- Onions and Garlic: Can damage red blood cells in cats.
- Xylitol: An artificial sweetener that is extremely toxic to cats.
- Alcohol: Can be fatal for cats.
- Dairy: Many cats are lactose intolerant.
Important Tips for a Safe Easter:
- Keep all Easter decorations and treats out of reach of pets.
- Plastic Easter grass can destroy your pet’s digestive tract, don’t buy it! Purchase paper grass or tissue paper instead. For this tip, you’ll notice that we aren’t recommending closely monitoring your cat and your guests. There are two simple reasons for that!
- There’s no reason to risk it! Paper grass can serve the same purpose and it isn’t a danger to your cat or dog.
- Easter grass is essentially a bunch of string – the ultimate temptation for your cat! It is likely that they will work very hard to play with it and that inevitably strands will get away from you. Accept that and only use the safe alternative!
- Easter Lilies are beautiful, but they shouldn’t be brought into homes with pets. Lilies are very popular gifts during the Easter season. But they’re highly toxic to cats and dogs and can lead to kidney failure.
- Supervise your pets during Easter egg hunts. They are fun for kids and families, but it’s a good idea to prevent your dog from getting involved. The energy of children running, laughing, yelling, and racing to grab eggs can be overstimulating for many dogs who could begin to chase Easter egg hunters. Dogs may also grab eggs themselves. The excitement of the hunt could trigger resource guarding from dogs that might not want to relinquish the eggs they find. Plastic eggs, and everything put inside them are especially dangerous as dogs can grab and open the eggs, possibly chewing or swallowing the plastic, which could cut their mouth or cause an obstruction.
- Always clean up after meals and gift unwrapping. If you’re hosting an Easter egg hunt, keep track of all the places where the eggs are hidden. Once the event is over, be sure to double-check that all the eggs have been found. Ensure that none have been left where your dog can find them or sitting out at a level where your dog can reach. Before letting out your dog, check your yard for any candy wrappers that may have accidentally been discarded. Foil from around chocolate bunnies and plastic candy wrappers may be attractive to dogs, but it isn’t digestible.
- If you suspect your pet has ingested a toxic substance, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center immediately.