Every year people all over the world celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February. People plan romantic evenings out, buy jewelry and even send bouquets of bright red roses or heart-shaped boxes of chocolates to their someone special. Many people include their pets into their Valentine’s Day celebrations as well. Cupid’s arrows certainly do fly around a lot on St Valentine’s Day and as a pet owner, you will need to make sure that Cupid’s arrows do not injure your pet!

On and around Valentine’s Day each year, the ASPCA’s Poison Experts see’s an increase in cases involving a pet being poisoned by eating chocolates or flowers. By taking a few extra precautions, however, you can ensure that Valentine’s Day does not go to the dogs!

Chocolates might warm your blood but they can be poisonous to your dog. So be sure that you keep those chocolates in their heart shaped box away from your dog’s mouth! Dark chocolate contains certain stimulants called methylxanthines which cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures and elevated heart rate in dogs. Light chocolate contains a high-fat content which can lead to an inflammation of your dog’s pancreas.

Will you be toasting your love this Valentine’s Day? If so, be careful not to leave any alcohol where your dog or cat can get into it. If you do happen to spill some wine, be sure to quickly clean it up before your dog or cat laps it up! Never leave your alcohol filled glass unattended. Just consuming a tiny amount of alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, difficulty breathing, metabolic disturbances and even coma in pets.

A rose might be for a rose but just be careful of the thorns! Keep thorny roses out of the reach of cats and dogs, because stepping on or swallowing a thorn can create an urgent trip to the vet. Other common Valentine’s Day flowers that you should be cautious of are: lilies, tulips, azaleas, cyclamen, chrysanthemum, and amaryllis. Ingesting any of these dangerous flowers could lead to vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of coordination, and multi-organ damage in cats and dogs.

Will your love be burning bright this Valentine’s Day? Just be sure to blow out the candles before you leave the room! Candles can easily be knocked over by inquisitive doggie noses. Even placing your candles high on your mantle will not stop a curious cat from checking out the candle.

Before you wrap up your romantic evening, be sure that all wrapping paper, tape, ribbons, bows, cellophane and popped balloons have been thrown in the trash. Cat’s love to play with ribbons, but ingesting them can cause blockages.

Although most pets do not usually eat everything in sight, you will never really know what might just spark their fancy. By being a bit more aware of what your cat or dog is up too on Valentine’s Day, you will be able to ensure a wonderful and romantic Valentine’s Day for all involved.