Some Valentine's Day Treats Aren't for Pets

SAN ANGELO— Valentine’s Day is around the corner and keeping pets away from certain items could save their lives.

Here are three key ingredients that pair nicely with Valentine’s Day: Chocolate, Flowers, and Wine.

But remember, sweets for your sweetie aren’t so sweet for your pets. No pet parent wants the stress of a sick pet on Valentine’s Day. 

One of the most common pet medical insurance claims around Valentine’s Day is chocolate ingestion.

In fact, according to Trupanion, a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs, chocolate made up 70% of toxicity-related claims in the weeks surrounding Valentine’s Day over the last five years.

Here are 3 ways to make sure you and your pet have the best, and safest, Valentine's Day ever.  

Chocolate: The number one danger for pets on Valentine’s Day is chocolate - here’s what you need to know:

Theobromine and caffeine—the two ingredients in chocolate that are toxic to pets—are found in greater concentrations in dark chocolate, but any kind of chocolate can be dangerous to our furry friends. Signs of chocolate poisoning in pets can include vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, increased urination, panting or rapid breathing, muscle tremors, and seizures. 

Flowers:  Valentine bouquets are sweet, but lilies and other toxic flowers can cause kidney disease in curious cats who ingest parts of the flower, or even drink the water from the vase. Lilies are incredibly dangerous to our feline friends. In fact, lily toxicity is one of Trupanion’s most common and one of the most expensive toxicity claims, with an average claim cost of nearly $800.  

Wine: Alcohol and pets don’t mix. Keep the wine and any other type of alcohol away from your pet.  Alcohol effects the liver just as it does humans, but it can do a lot more damage and quickly.

While keeping these items away from dogs and other pets, if you have an open heart and home nine canine companions in San Angelo are in need of adoption to save them from being euthanized.