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Snatching an Easter treat left a hungry hound needing to be rushed for an emergency vet appointment.
Playful puppy Hattie wolfed down an entire hot cross bun before owner Paul Beckwith could stop her. Having seen a family member almost lose her dog after eating raisins, he feared the worst.
A dash to Vets Now in Witham, Essex saved the day, but raisins, currants and sultanas in the sweet treats are highly toxic to dogs and eating them can lead to kidney failure and even death.
Now, with clinics seeing an alarming number of raisin-related admissions, Paul is backing vets’ calls for hot cross buns to kept well away from pets.
Bernese Mountain Dog Hattie was just five months old when the lure of the bun became too much last Easter.
“She hadn’t really taken things before, but I left my hot cross bun on the worktop to get the butter and when I turned back it was gone,” said civil servant Paul, who lives near Witham.
“I hadn’t realised how high she could reach and when I saw it was in her mouth, I tried to get it but it was gone in two bites.
“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. When I phoned the vet, we were told we didn’t have long and to get her in straight away.”
The Vets Now clinic in Witham is one of more than 60 clinics and hospitals across the UK that are open seven days a week for out-of-hours pet emergencies.
Hattie was examined immediately and because Paul had managed to get her in within half an hour of eating the hot cross bun, vets were able to give her an injection to make her sick.
That brought up all of the snack, minimising the risks.
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 thankfully able to take Hattie home the same evening.
“She was pretty sorry for herself when she came out, but she was back to herself the following day,” said Paul.
“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.”