The Dangers That Lurk in Your Easter Basket!

It's Easter weekend, and that means baskets of goodies around the house. But beyond the risks of sweeteners and chocolates, there are plenty of threats for your pets looming in any sweet-looking Easter basket. Even though paper "grass" is not as dangerous, the shiny, pastel bits seen here can lure in a curious cat (or pup) but pose the same problem as tinsel — strands can't be digested, get stuck in their intestines, and totally mess up the digestive system.

Decorated hard-boiled eggs may taste fine to a pet now (dyed shells and all — yuck!), but if your dog decides to bury it in the backyard and retrieve it later, he can get very sick from eating those rotten eggs. For the fake front, plastic eggs often smell of the hidden treats inside, tempting a pooch to take a nibble. And those colorfully tempting jelly beans? Bad news! Jelly beans are hard for many children to chew and can cause a choking hazard, so imagine what they'd do to a pup.

Little children's Easter toys may also look like toys to a pet, but these fragile knickknacks can wreak havoc on a pup's delicate digestive system. They're definitely not going to hold up to his chompers, and if he gets plastic bits stuck inside, he may have to have surgery — not a great way to celebrate any holiday. Be on the safe side, and don't leave gifts for the two-legged family members unsupervised from the furry friends. Place baskets up high on tables, and keep toys and treats in sight. And if you are hiding treats around the house for an Easter hunt, keep pets in another room and total up all the prizes once they're all found after the fun.