Hot cross buns might be delicious, but they contain sultanas, currants and raisins, which can all be deadly to dogs, as one owner recently discovered.
Owner Paul Beckwith was about to treat himself to a hot cross bun when he left the room for a matter of moments to get some butter.
Deadly Easter bake
But when he returned, to his horror, he discovered that Hattie, his beloved five-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog, had scoffed the lot. Paul spotted some of it in the dog’s mouth and rushed over to try and get it out. But Hattie had already wolfed the treat down in only two bites.
Paul knew hot cross buns could be fatal for dogs, which is why he'd left his plate on a high surface. He didn’t realise that the dog could reach that high. But he knew he had to act fast. When his niece’s dog was seriously ill after eating some raisins a few years ago, it wasn’t spotted quickly, and the dog almost didn't survive.
Lucky escape
So, without hesitation, Paul called the vet, who advised him to get Hattie in immediately. Paul rushed the dog to the vet, where she received an injection to make her vomit.
Fortunately, Hattie survived her ordeal thanks to Paul’s quick actions. He was able to bring her home the same evening, and she felt pretty sorry for herself. But she was back on her paws the next day.
But it could have been so different. Vets Now say they’ve experienced a 262% increase in pets becoming sick after digesting hot cross buns within the last year. Grapes, currants, raisins and sultanas can all be poisonous to dogs and potentially toxic to cats.
