The folks at Pet Poison Helpline (PPH) are bracing themselves for Valentine’s Day.

“It’s not our top holiday in terms of call volume,” Renee Schmid, DVM, DVM, DABT, DABVT, told NEWStat. That dubious honor goes to Christmas. “But Valentine’s Day is definitely up there.”  

Schmid, director of veterinary medicine at PPH, said that calls to the Helpline tend to go up around any holiday. “We always have a spike a few days leading up to them.”

So, in terms of holiday dangers, how does Valentine’s Day stack up? 

Beyond the usual suspects

When most people think about Valentine’s gifts that might be dangerous to pets (if they think about them), they don’t think much beyond a box of chocolates.

But Schmid says edible treats or gifts may be the least of it. Sometimes, it’s those unexpected inedible items you have to be most wary of, including essential oils, massage oils, and scented candles.

She warns about essential oils in particular: “In concentrated forms, depending on the type of essential oil, they can cause ulcerations and burns to the mouth and the esophagus,” Schmid said.

Lilies and other flowers

Lilies might be more closely associated with Easter, but Schmid said they’re frequently sold in fresh bouquets as an alternative to the traditional Valentine’s gift of roses. The most common potentially dangerous lilies are the Stargazer lily, Tiger lily, other Asiatic lilies, and some species of day lilies.

The petals, leaves, and pollen in lilies contain a toxin that can cause acute kidney failure in cats. Left untreated, the exposure will likely result in death.

The tricky thing about lilies, said Schmid, is that not all types are toxic to cats. Peruvian lilies, for example, will give a cat an upset stomach, but they’re not actually poisonous.

“Not every lily is the same,” she said, adding that it’s understandable that hospital staff may not know the difference: “Before I devoted my career to toxicology, I didn’t know the difference,” she said. 

Another source of lily confusion is the fact that, while they're highly dangerous to cats, they're not toxic to dogs, said Schmid.

Schmid always advises veterinary staff to avoid plant identification apps because studies show that they aren’t terribly accurate: One app had an accuracy rate of just 5.8%. “It’s always best to use a human for visual identification,” Schmid said.

That includes the experts at PPH: “We identify lilies for veterinary clinics and for pet owners all the time.  Just send us photos of the lily so that we can help them identify whether or not it’s one of concern.” 

In addition to lilies, other flowers and greenery in arrangements can also pose a problem so research poisonous plants before giving a bouquet to a home with kitties.

Speaking of chocolate

While many pet owners are aware that chocolate is toxic to pets, most are not clear on just how toxic it is, or why.

Chocolate and cocoa contain theobromine, a chemical similar to caffeine that’s highly toxic to dogs and cats. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains, meaning that baker’s chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and gourmet dark chocolates are the most dangerous. White chocolate is the least dangerous as it generally has very little theobromine.

To help you remember, PPH offers this handy heuristic when it comes to chocolate: dark = dangerous.

Foods covered or dipped in chocolate can pose a double-whammy threat, because in addition to the chocolate, the food inside can be toxic to pets. The most dangerous are chocolate covered raisins, espresso beans, and macadamia nuts.

Xylitol, CBD, and THC

Schmid says that while more people are becoming aware of the dangers of xylitol, they’re not necessarily aware of where to look for it. An artificial, plant-based sweetener used in everyday products, xylitol is frequently not listed on the ingredient label, making it difficult for pet owners to keep track of what items are dangerous to their pets. “They’re looking for it in products that are labeled sugar free.” Which makes sense, as it’s a sugar substitute. But Schmid says xylitol is actually used in a lot of products you wouldn’t expect, like medications, vitamins, and dental health products such as toothpaste.

Fortunately, xylitol isn’t dangerous to cats.  “We don’t know why,” Schmid said. “But it’s a species-specific sensitivity.” 

Another source of xylitol: cannabis gummies and other CBD treats. 

“CBD products can have little or no regulation,” Schmid said. And while CBD isn’t toxic to pets, products marketed as having only CBD in them can often contain trace amounts of THC, which is toxic to pets.

“CBD would just cause maybe some stomach upset. But when these dogs get into 30 or 40 of these gummies with trace amounts of THC, they’re getting enough of the contaminated product that they develop signs of marijuana poisoning.” 

To complicate matters, some cannabis treats, like cookies, contain chocolate, which poses a triple threat to pets: some might contain chocolate, xylitol, and THC.  

The hidden danger in a home-cooked dinner

Even a romantic, home-cooked dinner can lead to problems, Schmid said, if they contain onion or garlic. “They’re toxic to dogs and cats alike,” Schmid said. “Both can cause hemolytic anemia, and lead to the destruction of red blood cells.”

Schmid said pet owners should be careful when using any type of product with onion powder or onion salts, and the same is true for products containing minced garlic and dried garlic. “They’re so concentrated compared to fresh that it takes a very small amount to cause problems. So keep those plates and cookware out of reach.” 

What’s the most unusual Valentine’s Day toxin? 

“Viagra,” Schmid said, with a laugh. 

Schmid said that last year PPH got a call about a cat that had that got into their owner’s Viagra. Luckily, the cat’s owner was aware of the cat’s exposure and even though there were no symptoms of sildenafil (Viagra’s active ingredient) toxicity—which include vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, and potentially hypotension—he made the call to PPH out of an abundance of caution. As it turned out, the cat didn’t ingest enough to cause problems.

The cat was lucky.

“Viagra is very dangerous to pets,” Schmid said. “It can cause some significant changes in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as heart rhythm issues.” She said some hospital staff are likely familiar with Viagra because sildenafil is used to treat pulmonary hypertension in some pets.

That said, any pet owner who does break out the Viagra this Valentine’s Day should make sure they keep track of the pills. Few things put a damper on a romantic evening like a midnight run to the nearest 24-hour animal hospital.

Tony McReynolds is a temporarily petless freelance writer who lives near a dog park in Lafayette, Colorado. He dreams of one day owning a Newfie who isn't afraid of water (which the last one was, and seriously, how is that even possible?).      

Cover photo credit:  © renberrry E+ via Getty Images Plus

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.