Keep Your Pet Safe on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is the purrfect opportunity to appreciate our loved ones, and for more and more of us, the celebrations often include our pets. Like other festivities, Valentine’s Day often means spoiling our loved ones with gifts and affection, but these gifts can be hazardous to our furry companions if we’re not careful. To help keep your pet safe during the romance, we’ve listed our top Valentine’s Day pets tip below.
Don’t be too sweet!
Many pet lovers know chocolate can be fatal when ingested by pets, and this message couldn’t be more important this time of year. Boxes of chocolates are often gifted as Valentine’s Day presents or are included in themed hampers. Chocolate consumption can cause vomiting, diarrhea, pancreatitis and even death for our pets, so while it is easy to be swept up in the romance, it is critical to keep chocolate out of reach of your pet. Other sweet treats can also be disastrous, especially food sweetened with Xylitol which can cause a harmful drop in blood sugar levels when ingested.
Smell the roses
Who doesn’t love a beautiful bouquet on Valentine’s Day – your pet shouldn’t! Some flowers can be harmful to our pets, especially lilies. If you are sending a floral arrangement to someone, specify that it contains no lilies, and be careful of prickly of thorns that can present themselves on roses. Biting, stepping on or swallowing their sharp, woody spines can cause serious infection if a puncture occurs. De-thorn your roses far away from pets. If your pet is suffering from symptoms such as lethargy, vomiting or diarrhea, he may have ingested a toxic flower so be sure to get them to your nearest vet clinic as soon as possible.
Decorate with care
Be mindful when wrapping presents and gifts. Tape, ribbon, bows and wrapping paper can become choking hazards if swallowed. These fun and shiny items can be hazardous for curious pets so it is important to ensure ribbon or string attached to presents is disposed of straight away. In fact, this is one of the hardest foreign matters for vets to remove from an animals intestines. It can cause the string to cut through the abdomen resulting in peritonitis (abdominal infection). If you plan to light candles to help set the mood, be sure to keep them away from pets to protect them from potential burns.
Spread the love!
Not sure how to spend the purffect Valentine’s Day with your loved one? Why not visit your local shelter! Simply donating a few toys and treats can make a huge difference to shelter animals who wait for loving families to adopt them. What a great way to feel the love!
Furry gifts?
Adopting a new pet into the family should never be made on impulse, and we recommend having a really long chat with all the family members to ensure adopting a pet is the right choice for everyone. Cats and dogs can be on average a 15-year commitment and requires lots of love, patience, and understanding to have a pet in the home. Puppies especially require a lot of training and devotion and shouldn’t be purchased on a whim. If your family or partner is happy to bring a new furry member into the family, consider visiting our shelter located at 1605 Elizabeth Drive, Kemps Creek, open 10am-3pm daily for adoptions.
The best gift?
Already have a furry companion? The best gift isn’t tangible but those you can feel with your heart. Our pets LOVE it when we spend time with them, whether it’s a simple walk around the neighbourhood, a game with their favourite toy or a good snuggle on the couch, your pet just wants to be with you. Remember, they are in your life, but you are their whole life!