PETS
LOVE ME LOVE MY DOG TREAT! By Roz Lishak
Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest of events in the dog world. Goes without saying when your pooch is a very much-loved member of the family! Unfortunately, for those culinary canine lovers out there, sharing is not caring when it comes to the most romantic of gifts... namely chocolates and flowers! It’s an age-old read for some, but always worth reminding that chocolate in all its beautiful, glorious, indulgently delicious ways is dangerously toxic to your pet. This brings me to get my soap box out and unapologetically stand firmly on it to say please, please, please don’t think that ‘Look-Alike’ dog chocs are a good idea!! Whoever decided that choc bars or chocolate treats for dogs makes sense obviously hasn’t seen a dog’s reaction to eating human grade chocolate, after having seen a tempting box on a table and chomping their way through it. Yes, a closed box of chocolates too, as dogs care not for a lid - if they can get their noses inside, they will. For as clever as
they are, the truth is they still cannot read the label to distinguish dog friendly confectionery from not so don’t risk it. Sending flowers? Many plants and cut flowers are also to be avoided for pets, not just thorns or sharp stems that can get stuck in their throats but many varieties are toxic too! In all this it is reassuring to know there are many healthy and pet appropriate products out there: please choose wisely, love your pet all year round and when it comes to spreading the love, they love a high value treat or a a treat toy. So if you want to send a Valentine’s message, don’t say it with flowers and chocs. Officially off the soap box!
