Easter Causes Pet Poisonings Each Year. Here’s What You Need To Know

While Easter can bring fun festivities like egg hunts and candy-filled baskets, it can also unfortunately lead to an urgent hop to the emergency room for dogs and cats.

The main culprits for cats are Easter lilies, according to Tina Wismer, veterinarian, board certified veterinary toxicologist and senior director of ASPCA Poison Control. In 2025, calls to the ASPCA Poison Control hotline (888-426-4435; $110 consulting fee) about cats eating lilies spiked 50% on Easter and the days surrounding the holiday.

If a dog eats a lily, it typically leads to mild stomach upset, which isn’t too concerning. But cats and lilies do not mix.

“With cats, it takes such small amounts. A bite of a leaf or a bite of a petal or grooming the pollen off their face is enough to cause kidney failure,” Dr. Wismer said. “It’s horribly, horribly toxic. If you have a cat, no lilies in the household ever, please.”

The biggest Easter danger for dogs is chocolate, which is always a problem. In 2025, the ASPCA Poison Control hotline received over 51,000 calls about pets eating chocolate.

“That works out to an average of 140 calls about that a day,” she said. “That goes up by 10 to 15 percent during and around Easter. It’s usually a couple days before and a few days after.”

While chocolate is toxic to both dogs and cats, dogs tend to get into the most trouble.

“With cats and chocolate, they like to sample it. They’ll take a bite or two, but because cats don’t have sweet taste buds, they don’t eat enough to be a problem — unlike dogs,” she said. “For dogs, of course, the entire pan of brownies is one serving.”

The smaller the dog, the less chocolate they have to eat to show symptoms, which range from vomiting and diarrhea to elevated heart rates, tremors and seizures. Unsweetened baking chocolate and dark chocolate are more concentrated — and more toxic — than milk chocolate by weight.

Keeping Dogs And Cats Safe From Easter Pet Poisonings

Other Easter dangers for pets include sugar-free candy and gum that contain the sugar substitute xylitol, raisins (since grapes are toxic to dogs and cats), and even the plastic grass in Easter baskets, according to Dr. Wismer.

“We also see an issue with the plastic Easter grass that can actually cause an obstruction in animals in their intestinal tract. And because it’s kind of sharp and skinny, it sometimes can cut through the intestinal tract,” she said. “So use shredded paper or something that’s a little more environmentally friendly.”

To help keep pets safe on and around Easter, Dr. Wismer recommends that if Easter baskets are set out overnight, make sure pets are behind a closed door or baby gate so they don’t have access to the baskets.

She stressed the importance of warning children and guests about keeping Easter lilies, chocolate and other toxins away from dogs and cats.

“It’s training your children and training your family that we need to be careful with these items around our pets,” she said. “Just because it’s good for you doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for them, too.”

If you’re hosting guests for Easter dinner, discourage them from feeding pets from the table to avoid stomach upset or pancreatitis. Additionally, keep purses off the ground and out of reach of dogs and cats since they might contain pills, food, sugar-free gum, Ibuprofen or Tylenol, Dr. Wismer advised.

“Grandma’s purse is a very dangerous place if you’re a dog,” she said.

If a pet is showing symptoms or you suspect they’ve eaten chocolate, lilies or another toxic treat, don’t hesitate to seek veterinary help.

“Always call your veterinarian first and follow their advice,” Dr. Wismer said. “If they’re not open, you can certainly give your local emergency clinic or us a call.”

Hopefully, by taking precautions, everyone in the family can enjoy a fun and safe Easter.

“It’s all about prevention,” Dr. Wismer said. “You want to enjoy time with your family, not spend it at the emergency clinic.”