With Valentine’s Day being right around the corner, people are already buying gifts, candies, and making dinner plans for this special day. Do you know which flowers or candies to keep away from your pets? We have compiled a list of safety tips to keep everyone in the family healthy, happy, and feeling loved.
1) Chocolate – Keep chocolate tucked away where your pets cannot get into them. Chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures, and elevated heart rates in both cats and dogs. Remember – the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is to your pets.
2) Valentine’s Day Bouquets – There are some flowers that can be toxic to our fur babies.
*Lilies are especially toxic to cats. The ingestion of just 2 or 3 petals can cause sudden kidney failure. Some common signs to look for in your cat are vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hiding, and lethargy. For dogs, Lilies are not as poisonous. Ingestion by a dog may only cause mild gastrointestinal upset.
*Roses are not known to be toxic to pets, but they can cause other issues. The thorns on roses can cause trauma to your pet’s mouth or paws. Some signs to look for are drooling, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.
If you would like a full list of toxic/non-toxic flowers, visit the link below. Our friends at ASPCA have compiled a list for you: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants
3) Xylitol – Xylitol is an artificial sweetener in treats such as sugar-free gum, some candy, and baked goods. In dogs, this sweetener can cause vomiting, uncoordinated walking, collapsing, and seizures. If large amounts are ingested, it can cause liver failure.
4) Candles – If you are enjoying a romantic candlelight dinner, keep an eye on the candles. If you leave a room with a burning candle, blow it out. A curious kitten or rowdy pup could knock it over and start a fire or burn themselves. Our suggestion is to get flameless candles. They are safe and last longer than a real candle.
5) Gifts – After you are done unwrapping gifts, make sure you throw everything away. Ribbons and wrapping paper could be a choking hazard to your pets, or become lodged in the intestine.
6) Alcohol – Do not leave cups of alcohol sitting out if you are not in the room. Even a small amount of alcohol can cause a lot of different issues. Some of the symptoms could be vomiting, diarrhea, no coordination, difficulty breathing, and tremors.
If your pet is showing any of the symptoms above, please give us a call. We will discuss your concerns with our doctors and see what they recommend to do next.
