Be 'egg-stra' careful what you treat your pets to at Easter

Over a third (35.9%) of over 50s own a cat or a dog and Saga knows how much they love their pets. With Easter approaching comes a timely reminder to make sure that the treats given aren't harmful to their health. Research from Saga Pet Insurance highlights that one in ten (9%) enlightened pet owners aged 50+ treat their pets to specialist animal chocolate instead of that for human consumption that contains a chemical that is poisonous to dogs and can have fatal consequences.

Five years ago, almost a fifth (18%) of pet owners admitted feeding their four-legged friends "human" chocolate, whereas, encouragingly, only 2.5% of over 50s do the same today. This indicates that the harmful effects of feeding chocolate to animals have been understood by today's over 50s and they have taken steps to protect the welfare of their faithful companions.

Other foods that can be harmful to pets' health may come as quite a surprise for pet owners, for example grapes contain a toxin that can damage the kidneys, feeding liver more than twice a week can result in high levels of vitamin A (a build up of this which can cause muscle and bone problems). Another real danger for pets are onions, as these can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia.

Andrew Goodsell, executive chairman, Saga Group, commented: "Easter is a time when we like to give treats to our friends and family, including those of the four legged variety. However, it is very important to feed pets with animal-friendly chocolate to avoid causing harmful effects to their health, which could result in costly vet bills, a worry no pet owner would like to have."