Are you planning on celebrating Mother’s Day with your loved ones this year? If you are, and your pup is celebrating with you, here are some common items associated with Mother’s Day that are unsafe for your furry friend.
Chocolate
Whose mother doesn’t love chocolate? If you are giving or receiving chocolate this year, please make sure that it stays out of your dog’s reach. Ingesting even small amounts of this common candy can be detrimental to the health of your four legged loved one.
Xylitol
If you are having a mother’s day brunch and guests may be feeding your dog food from the table, make sure that none of what they are getting contains xylitol. This is a common sweetener that is safe for humans, but toxic to dogs. Even some brands of peanut butter now use xylitol in their products so be sure to double check the ingredients before giving your dog any “human food” as a snack.
Wrapping Paper and Tissue Paper
With gift giving, comes gift wrapping. Many dogs find wrapping paper and tissue paper exciting due to the appearance and the fun crinkle noise it makes. While ingesting it may not cause permanent damage, it is a good idea in general to avoid foreign bodies in your pup’s system. Exciting or not, wrapping supplies should be kept on the higher shelves to avoid any risk of harm.
Candles and Open Flames
A common gift item for mother’s on their special day of celebration is a candle. These come in all different scents, shapes, and sizes, but generally have one thing in common: an open flame. When lighting a candle in your house, take the necessary precautions with your dog in mind. Keep it out of their reach. Even if your dog is generally avoiding the candle, all it takes is a slow wag of their tail to either knock it over and set something on fire, or for their tail to be the victim of the flickering flame instead. The smoke produced from blowing out a candle can also cause a problem if you do not have the proper ventilation.
Flowers
Another great way to show that you appreciate your mother is by purchasing gorgeous, blooming flowers. When it comes to showing your love to your dog, however, there are several types of flowers that are toxic to pups. An extensive list can be found with a quick Google search, but here is a small summary of common flowers to avoid: Daffodils, Dahlias, Daisies, Geranium, Gladiolas, and Tulips. If these are in or around your home, please keep a close eye on your dog to make sure they do not eat these plants.
These are just a few examples of items to keep away from your dog when celebrating Mother’s Day. If you are ever questioning the safety of a substance that your pup may have encountered, it is better to be safe and do a little research. With that, the Homeward Bound team wishes you the happiest of Mother’s Days for all of the moms out there celebrating with their two legged children or their four legged ones! Enjoy your day!
