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Can you believe how fast January flew by? With January’s departure soon comes February, and you know what that means! Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Even though Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day for expressing love and romance, it is often a very stressful day for many people. That stress could be compounded if you have to take your dog to the emergency vet because they ate a piece of V Day chocolate, or a poisonous flower. In order to make your holiday easier, we are providing a short list of the top 3 holiday hazards to look out for.
As with most holidays, the dangers your dog might face on Valentine’s Day are largely common sense, and if you’ve read other holiday articles we’ve done on this blog they might seem familiar, but even though you’ve probably heard these warnings time and time again, they bear repeating so without further ado, let’s get into it.
First things first, we’ve said it again and again and again. Keep your dogs away from chocolate! While it is largely a myth that any amount of chocolate can kill a dog, the sweet treat is still harmful to your dog. This is because chocolate contains a chemical called Theobromine. The darker the chocolate your dog has eaten, the higher levels of Theobromine are present. Theobromine is most likely not going to be fatal to your dog, but it can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, increased heart rate, and seizures. Very high levels of exposure can lead to potential heart failure, and death. If you are going to give chocolates to someone for Valentine’s Day or if you're the lucky recipient of some, make sure you keep them far away from your dog’s reach, and place them high up on a shelf or in a cupboard when not in use.
Second, Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without flowers right? There is a large list of flowers that are poisonous to animals, so it is best practice to keep any flowers you have in the house away from your dog as well. Many people think roses are cliche, but since that’s a staple of the Valentine’s Day tradition, that’s what we’re going to focus on here. The petals of the rose aren’t a big hazard to worry about, but it is the thorns on the stem of the rose that you should be wary of. These sharp thorns can cause all kinds of injury to your dog, whether they have eaten a stem and hurt their mouth, stepped on a stem and punctured their paw or something more serious. These kinds of rose related injuries and puncture wounds can become infected easily, so keep your dogs away from the roses.
Finally, many think that Valentines Day isn’t the same without the exchange of a gift or two So, this brings us to our third most common hazard to watch out for. As you do on Christmas, you might give your loved one a special gift to show how much they mean to you. The wrapping paper around your gift can become lodged in your dog’s intestinal tract and can cause a whole host of unpleasant maladies ranging from nausea and vomiting to potentially life threatening intestinal blockages that will require veterinary assistance to clear.
There you have it folks, those are the top 3 most common dangers you might encounter with your dog during your Valentine’s Day celebration. Do yourself and your spouse or loved one a huge favor and keep all of the chocolates, flowers, and even gift wrap far away from your dog, because I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything that might ruin a romantic candle-lit evening with your honey than an emergency trip to the after hours vet clinic. Be safe and Happy Valentine's Day!
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