I’m taking a break from answering questions this week to touch briefly on best practices when celebrating Valentine’s Day weekend when critters are involved.
Now that bouquets and chocolate goodies are in hand, there are a few things to keep in mind to keep your furry loved ones safe. First and foremost, I’m talking about chocolate. Whether it be a box of chocolate or chocolate-covered strawberries, believe me, these goodies can be as enticing for your pet as they are for you. While delicious, chocolate can unfortunately be very harmful and in severe cases fatal to your pet, so it’s very important to keep these treats well out of reach of Fido or Garfield. When discussing chocolate ingestion and potential toxicity, things like the weight of your pet as well as the type of chocolate consumed are important details when determining risk potential. So, if your pet does happen to get into your sweets, contact your vet or call the ASPCA poison control hotline. Be ready to provide them with the details of the product your pet ingested, as this will help guide intervention and treatment, if necessary.
Another important Valentine’s Day consideration, particularly for my feline friends who seem more likely to wind up on tables or countertops, is the risk of flower ingestion and potential toxicity. My biggest concern is lilies. While beautiful and fragrant, these stunners can cause acute kidney injury in cats, which can be fatal. Even a kitty who drinks the water that lilies have been sitting in is at risk, so, better safe than sorry. If you’re a kitty owner, make sure to avoid lilies in your bouquets and if there has been potential exposure, notify your vet immediately. Lilies aren’t the only flower that can be harmful to my veterinary patients, so it’s always best practice to make sure that any plant or flower in the home is safe.
Ask the Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions or photos via the forms below.
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