Valentine's Day and Your Dog

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it’s that time when we think of our loved ones – dogs included. But are you keeping your dog safe as well as happy? I’d like to offer some suggestions so that you can enjoy this special day with your loved ones and your dog.

We all know that chocolate is very harmful to dogswhen ingested and can cause high heart rhythms among other things. You should also know that baking chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs, so if you are baking for your special someone, be sure the chocolate is well out of reach of your furry friend. And remember the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is.

Another thing we should note is that beautiful bouquet of flowers you may receive. The smell of fresh flowers may be very enticing to your pets and it only takes a small nibble to cause an upset stomach or vomiting. If the bouquet contains lilies, these flowers, although beautiful, can be very toxic to dogs and can be fatally poisonous to cats.

Valentine’s Day can also bring us a large decorated Cookie or a Candy Gram which may be decorated with chocolate or contain raisins or nuts. You may receive, or have out for guests, sugar-free candy or gum drops done in the traditional red and white. Did you know that sugar free candy is sweetened with xylitol, and if your candy contains large amounts of the sweetener, this can be toxic to your beloved pet. When ingested, xylitol can not only cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and loss of co-ordination, but in severe cases, can cause liver failure.

You may also receive a large bouquet of balloons from a friend or lover. While the balloons look lovely and seem harmless enough, if broken and ingested by your pet, they can cause a blockage in the intestinal tract. This can also occur if your pet is curious and starts chewing on the ribbons attached to the balloons.

I would also like to say that if you are planning on giving a loved one a cute little puppywearing a beautiful red heart, do your homework first and be sure your friend is ready to commit to looking after a pet. Pets are not disposable and can’t be easily repackaged and re-gifted, so be sure your recipient is really ready to embrace the pup with open arms.