Lavish your pet with lots of love but keep the treats and flowers out of their reach! Valentine’s Day is typically filled with gifts of chocolates, flowers and candy. However, these gifts can be very harmful to our canine and feline loved ones. Chocolate is especially a hazard this time of year, dogs seem to love the taste as much as we do. Unfortunately, the fat and caffeine derivatives (methylxanthines) commonly cause intestinal problems (vomiting and diarrhea), and can cause panting, hyperactivity, seizures and heart problems leading to death. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic, with baking chocolate being the most dangerous. Another toxic food ingredient that has recently been shown to cause liver failure and is highly toxic to dogs is xylitol, a sugar substitute used in some chewing gums and sugar-free baking products.
Many flower and plant varieties are poisonous or harmful to pets. Different plants and flowers have varied effects. Some of the more popular varieties that may be found around Valentine’s Day are: Baby’s Breath, Chrysanthemums, Daffodils, various Lilies, Ferns, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Impatiens, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rubber plants, and Tulips. Cats, especially, find grass-like plants irresistible and have access to just about everywhere. Lilies are particularly deadly to cats. There are many more flowers and plants that can cause upset and even death to your pet, so please be aware to keep all varieties of flora and fauna away from them.