Suddenly it's Spring!

Spring has got to be one of my favourite times of the year, the sun is out for a little longer each day, the days start to warm and the earth becomes alive with new growth! It is the perfect time to start to spending more of your day outdoors planting new things, playing in the yard or simply soaking up some Vitamin D!

As beautiful as spring is, it does bring with it a few things to be cautious of. I've complied a brief list for you to ensure you start this spring well informed!

Bait (snail, slug, rodent etc) - Unfortunately, these types of baits smell sweetly and are very attractive to our furry friends! They may be sprinkled over the garden, hidden in a box or simply stored in a shed; either way they are dangerous and toxic to our furry friends. If you think your pet has ingested any type of bait, you MUST get them to the vet immediately, if we are not open an emergency centre is the best option.

Fertiliser - This falls into the same category as the bait. The smell is often too tempting for dogs who must have a little chew to see if it is worth eating, this can lead to toxicity and possibly a fatality. Store your fertiliser up on a high shelf out of paws reach.

Compost - The compost is OH SO attractive to your dog, and even the odd cat or two!! It does however contain myriad bacteria, moulds and other toxins which can make your pets sick! Keep the lid on it until it's time to dig it into your soil.

Insecticides and weed killers - These types of chemicals are a little more obviously dangerous to our four legged friends, so just a gentle reminder to keep the lids firmly on and ensure they are stored up high out of paws reach.

Poisonous Plants - Rhododendrons, azaleas, daffodil bulbs and daphne are all toxic to our pets! Lilies of all varieties can even cause kidney failure in cats... our motto is... 'if in doubt, PULL THEM OUT!'

Some plants are not so much poisonous as simply itchy! There are many plants in the common garden that can cause a nasty rash on your dogs stomach and or paws, if you would like more information on this please let us know as we have some flyers with images to help you identify the problem plants.