Urgent warning for dog owners as pet almost dies after eating Easter treat
VETS have issued an urgent warning to dog owners after a puppy almost died after eating a common Easter treat.
Hattie, a Bernese Mountain dog, was rushed to the vets after she pinched her owner's hot cross bun.
The pooch, dubbed 'Hungry Hattie,' sneakily grabbed the Easter treat after her owner Paul Beckwith turned his back for a moment.
Paul then saw his sweet treat in the mouth of his pup - and rushed over to yank it out.
But the five-month-old puppy had gobbled it down in just two bites.
The traditional Easter treat can be fatal for dogs as it often contains raisins, currants and sultanas which can toxic for them.
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Paul, from Witham, Essex said: “I hadn’t realised how high she could reach.
"Hattie hadn't really taken things before.
“I knew how dangerous it could be as one of my niece’s dogs ate some raisins a couple of years back and it was touch and go whether it was going to live.
“That was partly because it hadn’t been spotted quickly, so I was thinking the worst and I knew I had to act fast.
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"When I phoned the vet, we were told we didn’t have long and to get her in straight away."
Hattie was rushed to the vets where she was given an injection to make her throw up and minimise the risk.
The warning comes as millions of Brits plan to tuck into hot cross buns over the Easter bank holiday.
Vets Now said it had seen a 262% increase in hot cross bun ingestion cases from last year.
Dave Leicester, Vets Now’s head of telehealth, said: “All grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas can be poisonous to dogs.
“And potentially poisonous to cats, and the dried versions of the fruits are more frequently associated with severe symptoms.
“Recent research has suggested that it may be tartaric acid that causes the toxic effect.
"More research is needed before we can confidently provide a toxic dose, not least because the tartaric acid content of grapes and raisins is highly variable.
"Just one grape, raisin, currant or sultana can be toxic so real caution should be taken with foods that contain them.”
Paul was fortunately able to bring Hattie home the same evening.
He added: “She was pretty sorry for herself when she came out, but she was back to herself the following day.
“There’s absolutely no way we’ll be having hot cross buns anywhere within reach and I’d definitely advise other owners to be really careful.”
It comes as vets have warned dog owners to take care, especially with many potentially Easter treats being toxic for pups.
One vet issued an urgent warning to dog owners after a common Easter treat left a puppy seriously ill.
Charlie, a Labrador-Staffordshire Terrier cross, jumped a stair gate to get her paws on 1kg of Cadbury Mini Eggs.
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Meanwhile, animal lovers have been warned to keep all Easter treats out of the reach of their curious pets as they could cause serious harm.
(BVA) has also warned chocolate, raisins and grapes can poison animals.
