February might appear to be a bit of a dull month. It’s still chilly, the excitement of the holidays is behind us, and many of us are wondering what happened to our New Year’s resolutions.
Green Dog Gazette is here to remind you there are definitely some bright spots during this month such as Love Your Pet Day, Walking the Dog Day and National Dog Biscuit Day but the most notable is Valentine’s Day.
No matter your relationship status, Valentines’ Day presents an opportunity to treat yourself and your pet. For humans, the treat of choice for Valentine’s day is one that you can’t share with your four legged friends: chocolate.
Chocolate is something that is really misunderstood in the pet world. Most people know that chocolate is toxic for dogs, and that’s true, but it’s a little more nuanced than that. So keep the chocolates for you and your human friends and watch for our next blog to learn more about chocolate and pets.
Along with the dangers of chocolate treats, ribbons and flowers can also pose a choking risk for your pets (cats are particularly fond of ribbons, so you should absolutely keep them away from them). It’s best to keep flowers, gifts, and all other Valentine’s day paraphernalia on a high table or some other place that’s inaccessible to your pet.
It is also important to remember that routine care is still important even though it’s still cold outside. Flea and tick and heartworm preventatives are still a necessity, as parasites can tolerate the cold much more than we give them credit for. Most veterinarians recommend that you continue will all preventatives throughout the year, regardless of the weather.
Not a fan of Valentines day? There’s another holiday you can celebrate all month long: February is Pet Dental Health Month! Check out our blog on cleaning your pet’s teeth and learn more about how you can keep on top of your pet’s oral health the easy and effective way with smileSPRAY and purrfectSMILE.