Valentine's Day Looking After Your Pet Family
Valentine's Day is a great excuse to shower your much loved pet with toys, chews, treats and pampering! Here are OSCARS top ten ways to spoil your pet...
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Cuddle your pet on the couch
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Pamper them at the grooming parlour
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Take them for a nice long walk
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Buy your pet a comfy new bed
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Buy your pet an exciting new toy
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Spend extra time playing with them
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Buy your pet a new treat
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Teach your pet a new trick
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Take your pet away on a family holiday
If you are hoping to enjoy Valentine's Day with your pet family, remember to keep them safe from hidden dangers on the most romantic day of the year!
Romantic Chocolates
We've all heard about the risks to our pets if they consume chocolate. If you're lucky enough to receive chocolates on Valentine's Day, be sure to keep them out of reach. Chocolate is poisonous to pets and can lead to arrhythmia. If your pet consumes any chocolate, contact your veterinary practice for further advice.
Romantic sweets
If chocolates aren't your favourite thing, then sweets may be! Remember to keep all sweet things out of reach. Xylitol is a sweetener, commonly found in sugar-free human foods and it has recently been discovered to be toxic to dogs and cats. Symptoms may include hypoglycaemia, vomiting and seizures. It can even be a cause of fatal liver damage.
Romantic bouquets
Keep bouquets away from your pets. Valentine flowers may look pretty and smell sweetly, but there are still hidden dangers! Lovely as they are, Lilies can be fatal to cats if they ingest any part of the plant. In dogs they may cause nausea and vomiting. Roses, if eaten, can also cause nausea and vomiting in our pets. The thorns may get caught in paw pads and fur and, if ingested, may cause some internal harm. Remember cats are great at climbing and may climb high to investigate your flowers. It is best to keep flowers in a room where your pet doesn't go.
Romantic bubbly
If you've been treated to a nice bottle of bubbly on Valentine's Day, don't allow your pets to enjoy this as well. Keep alcoholic drinks out of the reach of your pets at all times and don’t let your pet mop up any spillages. Our pets are smaller than us and even a tiny amount of alcohol could cause them some harm. When given in excess, it can cause alcohol poisoning and lead to vomiting, staggering and weakness.
Romantic candles
Whilst candles often help to set the mood for a romantic evening, they can be a danger to our pets. Their flickering light and pleasant smell are bound to trigger some investigation! Wagging tails, inquisitive noses and soft fur can soon get in the way of a burning candle, causing harm. Please remember to keep candles high up out of reach, or better still, buy battery operated ones.
Romantic bows and ribbons
Tidy away any ribbons, bows or wrapping paper. Pets may think these are fun things to play with, but if chewed or swallowed, can cause harm.
A pet is for life
Buying your loved one a puppy or kitten may seem like a truly romantic gesture, but have your considered the life long commitment involved? Remember, a pet is for life, not just a Valentine's Day.
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Do you need further advice?
If you need any further advice, please contact the OSCAR Helpline Team on our freephone number 0800 195 8000 or email helpline@oscars.co.uk.