Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a perfect holiday to celebrate with your dog. After all, no one on earth loves you more.

Celebrate with your dog:

Go out to eat: Find a dog-friendly restaurant where you can both enjoy a fun meal.

Take a hike: Spend some time outdoors. Get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy the great outdoors with your pup.

Spend a pamper day at the spa: Some popular dog spa treatments include special baths mud treatments, blueberry facials or special pawdicures to soothe and refresh your dog’s paws.

Potential Valentines’ Day dangers include food, alcohol, and flowers.

Be careful with Valentine’s Day treats: Make sure you keep your dog away from the chocolates or other sweet treats. Chocolate can cause abnormal heart rhythm, seizures or death. Sweets and baked goods, especially if made with the artificial sweetener xylitol, can cause liver failure and death. Alcohol can cause respiratory failure, central nervous system depression, abnormal blood acidity, coma, and death.

Roses, the most popular Valentine’s Day flower, are safe for dogs. Just watch out for the thorns. Other safe flowers include daisies, tulips, daffodils, carnations, alstroemeria, asters, sunflowers, statice, and poms.

And, you need to be a bit cautious with puppy kisses. A dog’s kiss is full of affection, loyalty and about 700 kinds of bacteria.

You can let your dog kiss you. Just keep them away from your mouth. Licks on cheeks or hands are generally OK, as skin absorption of bacteria is rare. To be safe, make sure to wash up afterward!