13 Feb Valentine’s Day 2020
“Flowers don’t tell, they show.”
Everyone wants to receive flowers on Valentine’s Day! However, Lilies are highly toxic to cats and can cause life-threatening illness or death. Ingesting any part of the plant, or even lapping up the water the flowers are steeped in, can cause complete kidney failure rapidly. When sending a floral arrangement to someone with a cat, specify that it contains no lilies.
“Nothing is as alluring as a piece of chocolate you can’t have.”
Pet lovers all know that chocolate is toxic when ingested by pets. Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine, a methylxanthine which dogs are not able to metabolise like us humans. Small amounts of chocolate can result in nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea whilst larger amounts can cause restlessness, agitation, tremor, seizures and even death. Any amount of chocolate can also cause pancreatitis in dogs, particularly in those breeds that are more susceptible to this condition.
“Your Sweetness is my weakness”
Found in some sugar free lollies, chocolate, chewing gum, toothpaste, medications and some foods, xylitol is particularly toxic to dogs, causing insulin release resulting in dangerous low blood sugar levels. There is also the risk of delayed liver injury. This can cause your pet to appear lethargic, suffer from seizures and is life threatening.
“Where there is no wine there is no love”
While alcohol may bring a lot of joy to us, it’s clearly not intended to be shared with our pets. Spilled wine, a half a glass of champagne or some leftover liquor are nothing to cry over until a curious pet laps them up. Alcohol affects dogs in the same way it affects humans. Apart from alcoholic beverages, alcohol can be found in some cleaners, disinfectants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and many other products. High levels of alcohol consumption can cause intoxication, gastrointestinal irritation coma and even death.
“Clean up after yourself”
From wrappers and tinsel to condoms and Valentine’s day toys! Unfortunately your vet has seen it all before! If swallowed, these items can get lodged in your pet’s throat or digestive tract, causing them to choke or vomit. Be sure to always clean up after yourself!