Valentine's Day is a holiday meant to celebrate the love in your life! From a husband or wife to a best friend, furry or not, but some classic Valentine's Day treats can cause some serious harm to our four-legged valentines. Check out the list of the top 5 Valentine's Day toxins.
Chocolate:
Every holiday we like to remind you that chocolate can cause serious problems for your pet. The scale ranges from least to most toxic: White, Milk, Dark, and Bakers Chocolate. Most vets will say that White and Milk chocolate won't kill your pet in smaller amounts. It's the Dark and Bakers chocolate you need to watch out for. Dark and Bakers chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical dogs have a hard time digesting. The longer it takes to digest, the more time it has build-up and to reach toxic levels in your pet. Small amounts of the chemical may cause your pet to have an upset stomach or diarrhea. Larger quantities can cause tremors, muscle seizures, irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding, or a heart attack. So keep the chocolates up and away from fido this Valentine's Day.
Flowers:
While roses may be the go-to this holiday, Lillies may also be present in your romantic bouquet. Lilies are very toxic to cats if ingested and can cause a range of problems including stomach irritation all the way to kidney failure. Check to make sure there are no Lillies in your flowers and if you have a hard time identifying them, just ring up the florist who will be more than happy to help identify what flowers are what.
Marijuana:
Despite the fact that marijuana is legal in some states and illegal in others, pets are still finding their way into stashes of the stuff and while it may cause an enjoyable high for humans, it can be deadly to pets. If they eat the actual buds of the plant it can result in lethargy, breathing problems, lower blood pressure, abnormal heart rates, loss of balance, and even loss of bladder control.
Alcohol:
Alcohol can cause major problems for your pet. Alcohol by definition is a depressant drug. As a depressant, it slows and suppresses the central nervous system creating the 'drunk' feeling in people, in pets it works much faster and smaller amounts can cause huge problems. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in pets include central nervous system symptoms, hypothermia, vomiting, coma, and even death.
Perfume:
Perfume is made almost entirely of alcohol and essential oils, both of which are not good for pets. If they get into a bottle or if a small dog licks a small amount off your skin when freshly applied, they may at worst get an upset stomach. If they break a bottle and drink more of the stuff, poisoning can mimic that of alcohol poisoning.
If you believe your pet has been poisoned call your local Veterinarian or Emergency Veterinarian right away.
We all want to enjoy this Valentine's Day, just make sure you and your family do it safely! If you have any questions regarding these toxins please reach our to your local veterinarian.
Don't have a vet in your area yet? We can help you find a local veterinarian.
This blog was first seen on Georgia Veterinary Associates