Spring is an exciting time of the year. The weather is improving and the prospect of enjoying time outdoors with your pet is becoming more of a reality after months indoors. All pet owners need to know the potential dangers springtime can bring to their pets and the best ways to avoid harmful accidents. Read our helpful tips on keeping your dog or cat away from danger.
Outdoor Pet Dangers to Look Out For This Spring
Many items can be found in your garden during spring that can be highly toxic and, in some cases, deadly to your pet — even in the smallest quantities.
Lily Plant
Lilies are a popular gift and a lovely addition to any garden or home, but if you have a cat, they can be extremely dangerous. Every part of the lily plant—leaves, petals, stems, pollen, and even the water in the vase—can cause kidney failure in cats, even in tiny amounts.
If you love having flowers at home, opt for cat-safe alternatives like orchids, roses, or sunflowers.
If you receive lilies as a gift, keep them well out of reach—or, better yet, choose to regift them to a non-cat-owning friend to keep your feline safe.
Spring bulbs bring vibrant colors to gardens, but many can be highly toxic to pets if ingested. Dogs, in particular, are prone to digging up and chewing on bulbs, unaware of the dangers they pose. Some common toxic bulbs include daffodils, tulips and hyacinths.
Store bulbs securely – Keep unplanted bulbs out of reach of pets, in sealed containers.
Choose pet-safe alternatives – Consider planting pet-friendly options like sunflowers.
Supervise outdoor time – If your pet enjoys exploring the garden, monitor them closely, especially in freshly planted areas.
Slug Pellets
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde are extremely toxic – ingestion of even small amounts will cause severe seizures. Instead of using toxic slug pellets, consider pet-safe alternatives, such as:
Crushed eggshells – These create a rough surface that slugs avoid.
Copper tape – Wrapping plant pots with copper tape acts as a natural deterrent.
Encouraging natural predators – Frogs, hedgehogs, and birds help control slug populations.
Organic, pet-safe pellets – Look for ferric phosphate-based pellets, which are much safer for pets.
Adders
While seemingly less likely than the other outdoor threats, Adders need to be considered by all pet owners whether in their gardens or out on walks. As the weather gets warmer, Adders wake up from their winter hibernation. Our overly inquisitive pets can encounter the UK’s only venomous native snake in many different scenarios and may attract a nasty bite if you aren’t too careful.
Woodlands, heathlands, and grasslands – Adders are commonly found in these natural habitats, especially in clearings or areas with long grasses.
Rocky or hilly areas, and near water – They often inhabit elevated or rocky terrain, as well as areas close to ponds or streams.
Ticks
As the weather warms up, ticks become more active, posing a risk to pets that enjoy exploring grassy areas, woodlands, and even urban parks. These tiny parasites latch onto your pet’s skin, feeding on their blood and potentially transmitting harmful diseases like Lyme disease and Babesiosis.
Check regularly – After walks, inspect your pet’s fur, especially around the ears, neck, and between the toes. Ticks can be as small as a pinhead, so look carefully.
Use preventative treatments – Speak to your vet about tick-repellent treatments, including spot-on solutions, collars, or oral medications.
As temperatures rise in summer, it’s also crucial to protect your pet from heat-related illnesses. Take a look at our tips for keeping your dog cool during the hottest months to ensure they stay comfortable and safe.
The warmer months aren’t the only time of year when pets face potential dangers—each season brings its own risks. For example, winter festivities can introduce hidden hazards, so be sure to check out our guide to keeping your pets safe at Christmas.
Act Fast in a Poison Emergency: Remember S.P.E.E.D!
If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, every second counts. Follow the S.P.E.E.D method to act quickly and effectively:
S – Stop your pet from eating any more of the suspected toxin.
P – Phone your vet immediately.
E – Emergency appointment—seek urgent veterinary care.
E – Evidence—bring labels, samples, or vomit (safely contained) to help with diagnosis.
D – Don’t delay! Time is critical in poisoning cases.
If you’re unsure whether something your pet has eaten is dangerous, consult our Poisons Guide or contact your local Goddard vet for expert advice.
Our dogs and cats are an important part of our families and households but, depending on their lifestyle, they can encounter parasites that may pose a risk to either their health or to ours. It is important to understand the risks, monitor for infections and to help prevent disease in both our pets and our families, and to protect the environment in regard to the use of parasiticides (the medicines used to treat fleas, worms, ticks etc).
At Goddard Veterinary Group, we recommend twice-yearly preventative health checks, one with the Veterinary Surgeon at vaccination time, and one at a nurse check six months later. These appointments are the ideal time to discuss your pet’s lifestyle and their personal risk profile for picking up parasites. Preventing disease is better for your pet, your pocket and the environment than treating a disease once it is established.
Puppies and Kittens
Young animals have immature immune systems and are more at risk of life-threatening disease from parasites than adult cats and dogs. The veterinary surgeon will perform a full examination at the time of your first appointment and we ask you please bring a list of any treatments that your breeder or rescue centre may have given your puppy or kitten before rehoming.
Commonly seen parasites in puppies and kittens are:
Roundworm – young animals are high risk of carrying roundworm which is a gastro-intestinal worm that can cause illness in young animals and blindness in people. Puppies can contract it in utero from their mother before birth. You may not always see evidence of roundworm, but occasionally they may pass in your pet’s faeces or be seen in vomit and look a bit like spaghetti.
Fleas. These are often carried from their mother and can cause significant anaemia (red blood cell deficiency) in young animals. See below for how to detect fleas on your pet.
Ear Mites. These are not uncommon in young animals and can cause a lot of irritation around the head. Our vet will examine the ears at their initial check-ups to check for signs.
Dogs and Lungworm
Lungworm is a serious illness that can be fatal to your dog if it goes undetected and untreated. 75% of foxes in London are believed to carry lungworm and it passes through slugs and snails and into your dog as larvae. Slugs and snails can be picked up when your dog chews grass and possibly from drinking from puddles or from dog bowls where slugs have been.
We recommend regular monthly prevention for but all but the most house-bound dogs in London. Preventative treatments are only available through a veterinary prescription and are not available in products sold over the counter or online without a prescription. We can offer prescriptions for either a Spot-On treatment or a chewable tablet.
If you dog is not on regular prevention, we will recommend a lung worm test prior to any surgery or if you dog is showing signs of being unwell.
Fleas – a problem for your pets, for you and your house
Fleas are probably the most common parasite we see and can cause immense irritation to you and your pet. They can also spread disease to people such as Cat Scratch Fever if we are bitten by them, and your pet can develop Flea Allergic Dermatitis. The risk of fleas increases in multi-pet houses, for pets that go outdoors and those that socialise with other pets.
The big issue with fleas, is that only the adult fleas live on your pet, and they account for only 5% of the flea population. The flea eggs, larvae and pupae live in the environment – they like a warm climate and fed off the dander (flakes of skin shed in your pet’s hair or fur). The pupae can hibernate for months and hatch as the adult flea when they feel warmth and vibrations of a mammal. The greatest risk of picking up fleas is over the spring and summer months, and then again when we turn on our central heating. Once a flea population is established in your house, it can take months to treat.
How to detect if you pet has fleas:
Purchase a flea comb from your vet or a pet shop.
Run the comb through your pet’s coat along the back, especially over the top of the tail.
Shake any contents of the comb onto a wet tissue or paper towel.
If you see black spots that turn red with blood, that is flea dirt.
We have a range of preventative treatments including ‘Spot-Ons’ and tablets and our veterinary team will make a recommendation to you based on your pet’s lifestyle and risk factors. Once an infection is confirmed on your pet, we will also recommend you treat your house, furniture, car, garden sheds and anywhere you pet may have been indoors that could keep the flea lifecycle going
Ticks
Ticks are another blood sucking parasite that can be picked up when your pet goes for walks in grassy areas. They can cause irritation and also transmit disease to your pet. They are mostly seen where other host animals live, such as deer, sheep and cattle. Dogs and cats living near some of London’s parks or those that travel outside of London are most at risk.
Do not remove a tick by pulling on it. The head parts will remain and can transmit disease or cause irritation and do not use spirit on it. Use a tick hook to twist the tick off with head parts attached. Tick hooks come with instructions for use.
Prevention. We recommend regular prevention if your pet is at increased risk of ticks, but not all pets will need it. Tick treatments are often combined with some flea treatments so check with your veterinary team if your flea treatment also covers for ticks. Tick treatments are available as a Spot On or as a tablet.
As for puppies and kittens, adult cats and dogs are at risk of picking up roundworm. They live in the gastrointestinal tract, and you won’t often see visible signs. They can cause disease in people known as Toxocariasis and those most at risk are children and the immunosuppressed.
Eggs can be passed into the environment and survive a long time – that is why its important to pick up dog’s faeces and dispose of it in bins and not let pets play in sand pits or children’s playgrounds. Urban areas are reported to be at higher risk of roundworm than in country areas due to a higher density of pets and foxes. Your vet will recommend a regular worming program passed on your pet’s lifestyle. Cats that hunt, dogs that scavenge and feeding pets raw food will all increase the risk of roundworm.
Figure 1-Lifecycle images from ESSCAP Guideline 01 Sixth Edition May 2021
Tapeworm
There are a range of tapeworm species your pets can catch and three are a concern for human health:
Echnicoccus Granulosos in dogs: Can be picked up by eating raw offal and transmitted to people leading to large internal cysts known as hydatid cysts. Dogs that are scavengers, who travel to farming areas, or are fed raw food are at increased risk.
Echnicoccus Multilocluaris: Very common in Western Europe. Any dog that that travels to the EU must be treated before returning to the UK and we recommend treating again a month after returning.
Dipylidium caninum: If we accidentally ingest an adult flea this tapeworm can cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms.
Frequency of tapeworm treatment will be dependent on the lifestyle of your pet and whether they hunt, travel abroad, are feed raw food or live with immunosuppressed family members.
This covers the most commonly seen parasites in the Greater London area. However, there are a range of other creepy crawlies you and your pet may encounter and regular health checks are the best way to get an early diagnosis.
How to use parasite treatments safely:
All our parasite treatments will be dispensed with a data sheet that explains safe handling guidelines and we recommend reading these, especially if it is the first time you have used the treatment.
The British Veterinary Association advises the following to protect your pet, yourself and the environment from possible adverse effects of parasite treatment.
Keeping Pets Safe
Only use products for the animal they’re prescribed for — they may harm others.
Use the right product for the species — e.g. never use a dog product on a cat.
Follow your vet’s advice on treatment frequency and when to finish the course.
Avoid your pet’s eyes, ears and mouth when applying spot-on treatments and make sure other animals can’t groom or lick them.
Keeping People Safe
Check the label to see if you are sensitive to any ingredients.
Seek medical advice if you experience any adverse reactions.
Avoid contact with your skin, eyes or mouth.
Do no stroke or groom your pet until Spot-On treatments are dry.
Keeping the Environment Safe
Discuss treatment options with your vet to minimise environmental risks.
Check instructions before your pet is washed or swims. The medicine can wash off, stop working and harm wildlife and the environment.
Dispose of the packaging safely and return unused products to your vet.
Always pick up your pet’s poo and dispose of it responsibly.
Always remember to follow the label and data sheet instructions on handling, swimming or bathing your pet after application.
Tablets:
Giving a tablet to your pet can be challenging but the parasiticide tablets we recommend are flavoured and chewable or can be wrapped in a treat to help with administration.
We understand that giving medication to your cat can be a challenge! That’s why we’ve put together the following videos, tips, and links to help make the process as stress-free as possible for you and your feline friend.
There are two main techniques you can use to give your cat medication:
Hiding the medication in food or treats
Administering the medication directly into their mouth.
Different techniques may work for different cats, so try a few to find out what your cat prefers.
Hiding Medication
Hiding medication in food or treats is generally effective if your cat is feeling well enough to eat, as medication is usually safe to be given with food. It can also be less stressful for you and your cat!
Tips for hiding tablets:
Ensure the medication can be given with food
Use strong-smelling food (tuna in spring water or sardines can help)
Warming food can increase the intensity of the smell
Try tasty paste treats
The addition of tasty biscuit treats can also help
Try treats that have a pocket to hide the medication in
You can hide multiple tablets or bitter-tasting medication in gelatine capsules.
Giving your cat medication directly
Tips for giving tablets:
You may find it easier with someone else to help you
Get everything ready in advance, as some cats will hide when they hear the tablet box being opened
Have your cat on a table with a non- slip surface – a bath-towel can work well
If you are alone, draping a towel or fleece over your cat’s front legs like a bib can prevent scratches
Have your cat sitting in front of you looking away from you
Hold your cat’s head firmly but gently around their cheekbones with your non-dominant hand
Tip your cat’s head so that they are looking directly up to the ceiling
Hold the tablet/capsule between your thumb and index finger of your dominant hand How to give your cat a tablet by hiding it within treats
Use the middle finger of your dominant hand to gently pull down your cat’s lower jaw
Place the medication as far back on your cat’s tongue as possible
If suitable, encourage your cat to eat after giving the medication or syringe a small amount of water into the mouth to ensure the tablet moves quickly into the stomach
Pill-givers are small syringe-like devices that can be used to administer tablets. If you’re interested in using one, please speak to one of our team.
Your local Goddard vet will be able to advise you on the best technique that you can use to give your cat medication. Remember, each cat is unique, so finding the right approach may take some trial and error. Don’t hesitate to seek professional guidance to ensure your feline friend receives their medication effectively and comfortably.
Ticks are widespread in the UK. They are actually arachnids rather than insects and, like spiders, adult ticks have 8 legs and vary tenfold in size from 1 millimetre to 1 centimetre. Ticks hatch from eggs and develop into larvae, then nymphs, and finally into adults. At each stage ticks have to attach onto and feed from an animal (their host), to develop into the next stage. The younger stages of ticks, like larvae, prefer to feed on small animals like birds and rodents. However, the older stages can attach onto and feed on larger mammals, such as dogs and cats, and also humans. For this reason, these unwelcome hitchhikers are something you should be aware of.
How do animals get ticks?
Whilst they could be found in some gardens, particularly in more rural areas, ticks are most commonly found in vegetation in areas such as woodland, meadows and moors. When they are looking for a new host to attach to, they are described as ‘questing’ and will wait on low branches and leaves to attach to any animal brushing past.
Is there a particular time of year that my pet is likely to be affected?
Ticks are most active in spring and early summer, and then again in early autumn. They are generally dormant in cold weather. However, with global temperatures on the rise, they are likely to be active for a greater proportion of the year.
Why should I worry about ticks biting my pet?
The majority of the time, tick bites will not harm your pet. Rarely, bacterial infections or abscesses will develop at the site of a bite. This is more likely to occur if a tick has been improperly removed, with part of the tick being left in the skin. However, the main reason for wanting to prevent tick bites in dogs is that they have the potential to act as vectors (spreaders) of infectious disease.
What diseases can be spread by ticks?
In the UK the most common disease that ticks transmit is Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Dogs that are bitten by an infected tick do not always become ill. We know this because many dogs in the UK have antibodies in their blood to the bacterium, suggesting they have been exposed, without ever showing signs of being unwell. However, some dogs do become ill, and this can occur weeks to months after being bitten. Signs of Lyme disease in dogs can include painful swollen joints, a fever and lethargy. It can also go on to cause glomerulonephritis, a condition affecting the kidneys.
Lyme disease can also affect humans, often showing as a characteristic ‘bulls-eye’ rash in the area of the bite. This rash is not generally seen in dogs. Humans can initially suffer from a flu-like illness, but can also be affected by heart rhythm abnormalities, neurological problems and arthritis. In some people, this can become a long-term illness. Whilst there is no evidence humans can be directly infected by dogs carrying Lyme disease, dogs could bring infected ticks into your home and garden.
Babesia is another parasite that can be transmitted by ticks to your dog. It can cause damage and destruction of red blood cells in the bloodstream, sometimes causing severe anaemia (low red blood cell count), as well as bleeding disorders and organ failure, and can be fatal. Until fairly recently, Babesiosis was a disease only seen in the UK in dogs that had travelled from continental Europe. However, in recent years, several cases of Babesiosis have been seen in dogs in the South East of England that have never travelled abroad, sparking concern that this infection is now beginning to establish in ticks in this country.
Dogs and humans can also contract a disease called Ehrlichiosis from ticks, though this is also rare in the UK.
How can I prevent my pet from getting ticks?
It is important to check your dog daily for ticks and remove any that are found, particularly at times of the year when ticks are most active and when your dog has been walked in areas that are high risk. Be sure to check them all over, including their feet, groin and armpits. Cats can also be affected by ticks but are quite good at grooming them off. If your cat gets ticks, they are most likely to be found on areas of the body they cannot clean so easily, such as on the head.
There are a variety of preventative tick treatments available that will repel ticks, kill them once they have attached, or both. Infected ticks do not spread infections such as Lyme disease until they have been attached to the host for around 48 hours. Effective tick treatments will kill ticks much quicker than this, meaning they are killed before they can transmit disease to your pet. Many of these treatments also prevent flea and other parasite infestations. Our practice staff would be happy to discuss with you what treatment would be best suited to use for your pet as part of their routine parasite prevention, so please do get in touch!
What should I do if I find a tick on my pet?
The easiest way to remove a tick is by twisting it off using a special tick remover. Properly removing a tick in this way reduces the risk of leaving the tick’s mouthparts still attached. Ticks should never be removed by squeezing or pulling, nor by being burnt.
If you are unsure or worried that your pet has a tick, book an appointment with your local Goddard vet.
Puds may used up one of her nine lives when she was badly injured in a road accident but has since made a miraculous recovery, thanks to the care she received at our New Addington practice in Croydon.
Six-year-old Puds was rushed to our Salcot Crescent practice by her worried owner after she was found bleeding and with serious injuries to her face.
Sadly, after examining Puds, we could see she had fractured her jaw and her lips, and the skin on the lower part of her face had become detached from the bone due to the force of impact she suffered.
Puds underwent emergency surgery to stabilise the broken bone and repair the skin damage before she was transferred our sister practice, Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital in Wimbledon, for her jaw to be wired in place. While at Stone Lion, Puds was also fitted with a feeding tube, as her injuries were so severe she was unable to eat normally.
She returned to New Addington for check-ups to ensure her recovery was progressing well and to have the wire and feeding tube removed once the fracture had healed.
New Addington Vet Paolo Koch carried out the emergency surgery on Puds and said the cat was in a lot of pain and distress when she was brought into the practice.
Paolo said: “Puds had experienced a serious trauma and had significant injuries to her face. The team stabilised her quickly and gave her pain relief, then we carried out X-rays and blood tests to find out the full extent of her injuries.
“As well as the soft tissue injuries to her mouth, X-rays showed she had fractured her jaw, but luckily there were no internal injuries and her limbs were not broken, which was very positive. Some of her front teeth were damaged, and as a result we removed two of them.
“I carefully repaired the injuries to her lips and skin, and realigned Puds’ jaw so wire could be fitted when she was transferred to Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital.
“Puds has made a great recovery and I’m really pleased with how her injuries have healed. The wire and feeding tube have now been removed and she’s happy and eating well. Luckily her owner did the right thing by bringing her to us straight away, so she was able to have the correct treatment as soon as possible.
“Although we can’t be sure exactly what happened, Puds’ injuries do correspond to a collision with a car, and the claws on her back legs showed scuffing where she may have been dragged along on concrete or tarmac.”
Puds is now back at home in Forestdale with her owner Danielle Banfield, who said her beloved pet is back to her old self.
Danielle said: “I knew straight away something was wrong when Puds didn’t wake me up as usual, because she always comes upstairs in the morning and will jump on the bed and miaow or pat my face with her paw. I went downstairs and found her cowering in a corner of the living room, covered in blood. It looked horrific, like the lower part of her face was hanging off, and I took her to the vets straight away.
“Paolo and the team at New Addington were amazing and I can’t thank them enough for the care they gave to Puds. As well as repairing her injuries they were so kind and caring and even though she was badly hurt I knew she was in safe hands. They were also really accommodating when Puds managed to eat some food a few hours before our appointment to remove the wire, which meant she couldn’t have an anaesthetic, and we were able to go the next day instead.
“Puds also spent a couple of nights in Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital and they were brilliant, too. They kept me up to date and were so caring when I was there.
“Puds has helped me through some difficult times and means the world to me, and I’m so grateful to the veterinary teams at both practices for what they did for her. I can’t sing their praises enough.”
We’re so pleased Puds is on the mend after her traumatic experience and share our thanks to both our New Addington practice and Stone Lion Hospital teams for their quick intervention.
We have 44 practices and three 24-hour hospitals in and around Greater London, for more information on our practices, visit our online practice finder.
