Echuca Moama Veterinary Clinic veterinarian Mark Wheatley said the main concern this time of year was dogs eating chocolate.
A chemical found in milk and dark chocolate is toxic to dogs, and can cause a range of symptoms if eaten, including vomiting, heart issues and death.
“It all depends on how much they eat and what the dog weighs. The dose per kilo is what’s important,” Dr Wheatley said.
While chocolate toxicity calculators are available online, it can be hard for dog owners to figure out how much and what type of chocolate has been eaten.
Both factors determine the level of risk to dogs, but if owners are concerned, Dr Wheatley recommended they bring their pet in to a clinic.
“If you’ve noticed that your dog has eaten some chocolate, you want to get it looked at — now,” he said.
Owners should keep chocolate well away from dogs, and be aware of children, who may accidentally feed them.
Besides chocolate, Dr Wheatley said snake bites were still a prevalent issue for pets this time of year, with a spike in cases common through autumn.
“People have got to be aware of snakes almost all year-round,” he said.
An influx in visitors also makes other issues more likely, including accidents involving pets from increased traffic and problems that can arise from camping activity.
Dr Wheatley said it’s fairly common to see dogs accidentally eat fish hooks when going for bait.
“The fish hooks can be straightforward to remove, or they can require a procedure to remove them,” he said.
“I had one a couple of days ago where it ended up in the stomach of the dog, and the fish hook had to be removed with an endoscope... and it’s not cheap to do that.”
Campers may also discard unwanted food in the bush, which can spoil and cause issues for pets if consumed.
Warm weather is forecast the week leading into Easter, which brings a higher risk of heat-related illnesses for animals.
Dog and cat vaccinations should also be up-to-date if they’re spending time in kennels over the holidays.
“It's important that (owners) vaccinate them and don't leave it to the last minute,” Dr Wheatley said.
Overall, pet owners should keep a close eye on their pets, particularly dogs, as it’s difficult for vets to help animals when they don’t know what’s wrong.
“When you start with nothing, then it’s a bit of a challenge to try and establish what is happening with them,” Dr Wheatley said.
To contact the Echuca Moama Veterinary Clinic, which runs a 24-hour service every day of the year, ring 5483 5999.
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