Pet Safety Tips for Valentine’s Day 2022
Pet Safety Tips for Valentine’s Day 2022
Valentine’s Day is the romantic holiday of the year but it’s filled with dangerous things for our pets. The last thing you need is an emergency trip to the vet. Here are our pet safety tips for Valentine’s Day.
Keep candles out of reach.
Candles can cause burnt paws, missing fur, or scorched whiskers. As tempting as it might be to decorate with loads of candles our pets don’t understand what fire is and that they can hurt themselves. If you want to light a bunch of candles to set the mood, consider using battery powered candles. If you must use real candles make sure your pet is confined to an area where there are no lit candles.
Chocolate is a no no.
Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is highly toxic to our pets. Don’t share any with your pets and if you drop any, make sure to pick it up right away. If you want to share some of those chocolate covered strawberries with your pet, consider this dog-friendly carob recipe from dogcancerblog.com. If you plan on substituting the almond butter for peanut butter make sure it does not contain any xylitol. As a general rule, candy should be kept away from pets.
Keep flowers out of reach.
Many flowers are toxic to pets. Those that aren’t toxic may have thorns, such as roses. Roses tend to only cause an upset tummy if only the flower part in ingested. Thorns can cause much more damage. Keep flowers out of reach or consider telling your date ahead of time that you do not want flowers.
Stuffed animals can be a choking hazard.
Are you lucky enough to get one of those Costco bears? First, congratulations! Secondly, stuffing inside of stuffed animal can pose a choking hazard if your pet mistakes it for one of their toys. Additionally, some stuffed animals have small, hard parts such as the nose that if chewed off could also turn into a choking hazard.
Careful with alcohol.
Dogs and cats are curious and if left unattended, that half drunk cocktail might end up in your pets mouth. Don’t leave out half drunk drinks or bottles that are open.
Throw away all packaging.
Valentine’s Day is a day for gifts. Dispose of all packaging in a bin your pet cannot get into. Small plastic pieces can become a choking hazard. If you get balloons as part of your gift put them into a room you can keep your pet out of. Balloon strings, ribbons, and tape are all ribbon-like materials that can easily get tangled in your pets intestines.
What are your tips for keeping your pets safe on Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments.
